I'll be home for Christmas
by Mrstrentreznor
Summary: Bella Swan pulled the plug on the wedding juggernaut and ran. Reduced to short stays and voluntary isolation, she moves from place to place. The Volturi can't track her, but it doesn't mean they can't find her some other way. Human, she broke her promise to them. Depressed at Christmas, she meets an older man in a bar and he takes her home. Who is he? Why is she drawn to him?
1. Chapter 1

**AN: I wrote an entry for the JBNP's Naughty or Nice... Christmas One Shot Contest 2011, but got carried away with my idea and forgot to read the fine print. No wolf boy equals no contest entry. But on the bright side, that means I can post it here for you.**

**On the negative side, ff doesn't have photos so if you want to see the great shots of Benjamin Bratt (I borrowed his body) and the sunrise, you'll have to read it on JBNP. But sadly, it shut down in July 2013. So Google is your friend.**

_Disclaimer: the characters and all recognisable situations belong to Stephenie Meyer - this is a work of fan fiction, except for the legends and histories of the Quileute and that, of course, belong to them. I pay my respects to their gods._

**Paring:** Bella and a guy she met in a bar

**Rating:** M

* * *

><p><strong>I'll be home for Christmas. <strong>

"You did WHAT?" Bella screamed at her fiancé.

"I would want to have known," he argued. But because he could not read her mind, he never did know what she was thinking.

"What did you say? And I know you can remember exactly."

"I said: _I'm breaking the rules by sending you this. She was afraid of hurting you, and she didn't want to make you feel obligated in any way. But I know that, if things had gone the other way, I would have wanted the choice. I promise I will take care of her, Jacob. Thank you – for her – for everything,_" he recited.

She just stood there and looked at him while she tried to marshal her thoughts.

"You sent my _human_ best friend who just happens to be in love with me and a werewolf and your mortal enemy… an invitation to our wedding?"

"Yes." Stupidly, he sounded supremely confident of his actions.

"And you really think he wants to stand there and watch you win the battle for my heart? Knowing that it will result in my death?"

"No you'll be turned-"

She glared at him hard enough for him to stop that line of argument.

"Dead is dead, Edward," she spat at him.

"Well I suppose… when you put it like that…"

She was furious with Edward for sending him the wedding invitation. It was spiteful and unnecessary. As unnecessary as the invitation itself. The layers of petal printed pages with matching vellum overlays. So formal; so **not** her.

"It was _my _job to tell him; not yours. How else could he interpret that, than as one upmanship? It was cruel, Edward. He lost me and you're reminding him of that. Did you enclose an extra message? Nahnah na nahnah? Was that what it said?"

"Isabella, please. Don't be childish."

"Really? And what did _you_ just do? Rub salt in his wounds?"

Edward looked momentarily confused. As if his Victorian rules of behaviour had failed him here. Miss Manners for century old men didn't apply in the year 2000.

"It's my choice to marry you. To be with you, not him and **I** should have told him that," she tried to explain. "He's my friend and I-"

She stopped suddenly.** Her choice… **

She had a realisation. She hadn't made any choices, other than Edward.

"It's _**my** _wedding. Have I chosen a single thing?" she asked rhetorically.

Edward didn't answer her. But she knew the answer already.

**Not one single thing.**

"My dress. The guest list. Where the ceremony will be held. Who the caterer is. The honeymoon location. Nothing"

Edward looked blank.

"Did we even discuss any of it? Did the words 'what would you like, love?' cross your lips? Rather than 'don't worry, it's all arranged'." Her eyes narrowed at him. "How many other decisions have you made for me Edward?"

No response.

"My college. My car. Why can't I get to make my own decisions? Choose the colour of my car. Those are stupid little things. But this? This is my farewell to my humanity. That is what I am giving up for _you_. My family, my friends, my parents. My future children. **All gone for you**. That's the price I am willing to pay."

Still no response.

"But don't I get to say how that happens? Or who gets to come? Or what colour I wear when I do it?"

"Isabella, you know Alice loves organising these things," he blustered. He always used her full name when he was irked by her. Her and her too human emotions.

"Alice can get married again, any time she wants. She can fuss with whatever designer she likes this week. That stuff isn't me! The vellum invitations weren't even me."

Alice slunk in looking apologetic. She could probably hear them.

"She can organise Rosalie's or Esme's weddings again. Or her own. But this is my one and only." She paused. "And it mattered to me."

She heard that.

The past tense.

She blinked.

The vampires stood with that utter stillness they had. They didn't move or breathe or even blink. They were after all… dead.

Alice moaned. Edward's eyes flicked to her. He looked wounded suddenly.

"Oh, no," he said.

Wow. She must have changed her future. There was no other explanation for the devastated looks on both their faces.

She blinked again. Nobody else moved.

She saw a glimpse of Jasper's curly hair in the background.

"And so help me, if Jasper even _tries_ to make me happy, I'll be gone," she hissed.

"You're already gone," Alice uttered sadly.

"Yes," she stated. "Yes, I am."

She pulled the plug on the wedding juggernaut and she ran. Jake wasn't back from his lupine hissy fit so she didn't say goodbye to him either. She explained it to Billy. Embry was at the house and she spoke to him and asked him to 'show' Jake her decision.

She chose neither.

_She chose herself._

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**Five years later.**

Bella Swan was twenty three now. She'd left Forks, but had moved back nearby recently. Now after living in a dozen places, she was in Seattle. Close but not too close. Charlie didn't know where she was.

Her life had become a meaningless cycle of temporary jobs and temporary men. They became faceless in her increasingly vague memories. She worked in bars and diners. Never stayed anywhere too long. Casual jobs, with no job security and no extra benefits.

She wasn't a virgin any more. That was the first thing she got rid of. Edward had bribed her into marriage with the promise of the loss of her virginity, so it had to go.

So she got a little drunk and went home with some poor guy who woke to find blood on his sheets and the bed empty. It was okay. He was attentive enough. But it was done. He was young and not that skilled, but he got the job done. Since then she had found others who did better in the sack, but it was still quick and unemotional; the way she liked it.

Charlie tracked her down periodically. She had taken to phoning him before he found her now. He didn't comprehend the need for secrecy and probably never would. How could she explain the Volturi to a cop? They could probably crack the IRS easily enough, so maybe her moving around was unnecessary. She didn't care any more. It worked for her too. She liked leaving before things got too complicated. And emotions were complications.

She discovered that she liked older men. They usually knew what they were doing in bed and as an added bonus, they usually weren't hung up on having a 'relationship' and that suited her just fine.

She didn't want complications either.

Older men. She almost laughed at the thought that her first love was an older man. 106… no he'd be 111 now. She sighed. Choices. She had chosen herself and some days she had regrets. Days when she felt older. When she felt alone.

And it was Christmas and that was always hard for people who were alone. The perfect families in all the commercials grated at her. They were always smiling in their perfectly decorated houses with their perfect nuclear family of one boy and one girl and an adorable dog. Something cute and fluffy like a Maltese Terrier. Their Christmas trees were always colour co-ordinated; all the hanging decorations were the same shade of blue or silver. It made her feel nauseous. Reminded her too much of the Cullens and their enormous Christmas tree; intricately decorated and brushing at the ceiling.

And every year the decorations seemed to appear earlier in the malls.

It was a Saturday and Christmas Eve. She was working at a bar in Seattle. They had strung a few dusty decorations around and set up a lopsided tree on the end of the bar. It was almost pathetic.

She looked beyond the tree and saw a group of people in a booth. One guy caught her eye. He noticed her notice him. He was clearly Native American and that was the reason he had caught her eye initially. He reminded her of the Quileute boys; the same skin colour and the same distinctive facial features. She kept glancing back at him as she served others. He definitely noticed that and he smiled at her.

He was sitting with a bunch of people who were all chatting animatedly but he didn't seem to be 'with' anyone.

He wore his long hair loose and un-braided. It was longer than hers. And probably in better condition, too. He wore a white linen shirt. It seemed chosen specifically to display his skin colour. It was that kind of semi transparent weave and his russet skin showed through beneath. He was immaculate. If she wore white in a bar, she would have splashed something on herself or dipped the sleeve in a drink within the first hour.

She snorted. Looking after herself was not high on her list of things to do. The next time he wanted a drink, he came to the bar to order it. He palmed her his phone number. Definitely a pro. He also ordered an orange juice in a mixed drink glass, so she had him pegged as an ex-alcoholic. Looked like he was drinking, but wasn't. She had no idea how old he was.

"What time do you get off?" he asked.

"1 am."

"Call me, I'll walk you home," he offered.

She smiled. "If your place is close enough to walk to, maybe we should go there. I'll meet you when I get off. Out front."

He just nodded. "1 am."

She nodded back.

He went back to his group.

She surreptitiously watched him leave. Then she realised she didn't know his name. She glanced at the coaster he given her. Josh, he'd written. But he didn't know _her_ name. He must have realised that at the same time she did, he spun on his heel just inside the door and looked back at her; his arms full of scarf, hat, and overcoat.

Izzy, she mouthed at him. He nodded. With one final smoulder from those dark eyes he left.

She felt good; her night was looking up. And hopefully she wouldn't get a lot of sleep. He didn't drink, didn't smoke and seemed to be experienced with women. It was all good.

88888888888

She counted off the till, ran the last few glasses through the washer and tidied up; wiping down the bar and the counters. The manager tossed out the persistent drunks and said he see her on Tuesday night. She had a couple of days off while the bar was closed. She stepped outside into the freezing night air and he was there. He was dressed in his winter coat; a knitted hat covered his head. His hands buried in the pockets.

He smiled at her. She found herself smiling back. He held out his hand and oddly for her, she took it. They walked, holding gloved hands, the couple of blocks down the wet Seattle streets. She wasn't sure why she felt so comfortable with him. Was he as close to Jake as she had been for years? An almost Jake? She shut that thought down. Jake was the past.

He stopped in front of an older block and unlocked the foyer door, holding it open for her. She stepped inside. No going back now. Stairs up to the third floor. He didn't call the lift and she wondered if that was just habit; that he always used the stairs and didn't think of it now.

They peeled their coats off; it was warm and the air was dry in the apartment. He hung everything on a rack inside the door.

The apartment had tall windows overlooking the street. No view of the harbour. Too expensive, she thought. It was a large room with a kitchen on the side and older French doors that seemed to lead to the bedroom. she caught a glimpse of bed through the open door.

"Did you want a drink or a shower?" he asked.

She looked puzzled.

"I hate the smell of cigarette smoke in my hair," he explained with a shrug. "I thought you might, too."

So he probably didn't want her hair to smell of it either. "Yeah… if you don't mind. It's the stickiness on the legs that drives me nuts. Shoes just dissolve after a while from the spillage."

He ushered her down the hall to a bathroom. "Did you want something to eat?"

She was a little puzzled. He didn't just want to get down to it. He must have picked up on her confusion. "Are you doing anything tomorrow?" he asked.

She just shook her head. It was Christmas day. She had no plans.

"Then we've got all day don't we?" he checked.

She couldn't have said what made her say it, but she just blurted out, "I don't usually stay."

He smiled again. "Maybe just this once." It was a statement not a question.

"How do you know we'll get on?" she blurted out again.

He gave her a look. Then he chuckled. "The way you look at me… we'll be fine."

"Oh." She was **that** obvious. Oops. "Sorry," she said in a small voice.

He reached out those long slim fingers and brushed her cheek. "Don't be sorry," he whispered at her. And then he leaned in and he kissed her. It was just a light brushing of lips but she felt it everywhere. "You're staying," he stated.

He spun her around and gave her a gentle push towards the bathroom. "I'll cook. You go have a shower, Izzy. Is an omelette okay?"

"Yes, please." She stopped in the doorway and looked back at him. He was standing there watching her. "Thanks, Josh."

He smiled at her again.

She showered and washed her hair. There was a terry cloth robe on the back of the door so she put that on and wrapped a towel around her hair. She could smell coffee as she came out of the bathroom. She felt so much better after the shower. She stopped in the doorway with her clothes clutched in front of her and her shoes in her hand.

Josh glanced at her. "The laundry is out the back door. Just throw them near the door and we can wash them later."

She nodded and did as he suggested. He passed her a mug when she came back. "Milk's in the fridge if you want it."

She leaned against the counter and watched him cook. She did like a man who could look after themselves; she had seen so few of them in her life. He slid what was clearly her omelette onto a plate and passed her a fork. He started cooking the next one and she wandered off with the plate in her hand.

There were a few photos around the apartment. Some looked very professional. She stopped in front of one. It was of a young man in a denim shirt with a necklace sitting on his clavicles. His dark eyes focused intently on the photographer.

"Oh my god," she said with a mouthful. "Is this you?"

He glanced up to see where she was standing. "The sepia?" he checked.

"Yeah."

"Yes, that's me."

"Wow."

"You wishing you met me twenty years ago?" he joked.

"Hardly," she replied. She would have been too young; she didn't say.

"Looks aren't everything," he said, oddly serious for a second.

She wandered around and looked at some other things. He had a jumble of books, pieces of artwork and sculptures. Lot of Native American themes. He walked out of the kitchen with his own omelette and sat on the sofa. He'd brought her coffee with him.

She sat near him.

"You would **not** have liked me twenty years ago," he stated.

She shrugged. "So let me guess… you drank, then?"

"Yes and at that age," he jogged his head towards the picture, "I was a whole lotta trouble. Women, drugs, alcohol… you name it."

"I'll bet."

"Trouble found me… until I ran away far enough."

"I ran away too," she confessed. She had no idea why she had admitted that to him.

"Yeah?" he checked. "Anyone looking for you?" he asked.

She shook her head. "I let my dad know where I am. There's no one else." Renee was a waste of space. She ate some more of her very late dinner. "It was the wedding thing."

"Runaway bride?" He chuckled.

"Oh yes. The invitations had gone out and everything." God, those hideous invitations.

"You seem too young. How old were you?"

"Eighteen."

"Ouch. Too young to get married," he agreed. And then he added, "Funny, I was eighteen too. And married. That's how I _know_ it was too young."

"When you ran?"

"Yes. But no-one is looking for me either. They are better off without me."

She heard the 'they', but she didn't want to ask about children; they were sharing too many secrets anyway. And her secrets were the kind of things that nobody believed in any case. Even if she did tell them.

They sat companionably in silence, just eating and sipping their coffees. When he finished eating, he placed the plate on the coffee table. He toed off his shoes and put his feet up. He held an arm out to her. She disposed of her own plate and snuggled under his arm. He was maybe just over six feet; not tall compared to Jake but still way taller than her.

"So how did you get yourself together?" she asked.

"I got approached in a bar; asked to do some photo shots. Modelling he said. I thought it was probably going to be something x rated, but he meant it. I agreed anyway. The sepia is a pro shot from my early days. Sometimes they let me keep the clothes. Still do."

No wonder he looked so good; he was _still_ a model.

"There's a small market for Native models. Some bit parts in movies or mini series."

"And no one recognised you? You know… from your past?"

"Guess that wasn't where they were looking. Not in the gutter after all."

"I hide," she admitted. "So they **can't** find me. I keep moving."

He looked at her. He slid his hand under her chin and pulled her face over to his. "I'd notice you," he whispered. He kissed her; and hauled her over onto his lap. She straddled him eagerly. She wanted to see his skin. She slid her hand inside his shirt. But she wanted more. She undid all the buttons and spread the shirt open over his hairless chest.

He was thin and wiry. Not an ounce of fat on him. He shrugged out of the shirt and tossed it aside. And he was such a gorgeous colour. His jeans hung low on his hips; very low. His hipbones protruded above the waist band.

"God… look at you," she almost moaned.

"I want to see you too," he said in a low voice. His hands fumbled at the tie on her borrowed robe and then he pushed it off her shoulders, sliding it down her arms. She shrugged out of it too; letting it fall behind her.

He cupped her breasts in his hands. She put her palms on either side of his face and kissed him, sliding her tongue into his mouth. He tasted like coffee.

He hoisted her up and stood, carrying her easily. He was stronger than he looked and plus she was still no more than 110 lbs wringing wet. He carried her to the bedroom and laid her on the bed.

He was that beautiful colour all over.

88888888888888

She lay there watching the sun come up. He was sound asleep. He had earned it. She almost giggled at the thought. Well she guessed they had both earned it. She just found herself restless and unable to go back to sleep. She had woken up from a weird dream.

It had been a long time since she had weird dreams. When she first moved to Forks, she had a lot of dreams. They had always seemed portentous and full of significant images; images she usually didn't understand. But her dreams had helped her to guess that Jake was a werewolf. And just like then, her dreams tonight were of the forest. The forest and the wolves and the smell of the sea. And then she had found herself on the beach. She recognised it instantly. She was dreaming of La Push. Maybe it was him. Being Native American and all. Her mind had skipped from him to her old friends and old locations?

His arm flopped over, reaching for her. His eyes opened and blinked, taking a second to focus on her. He frowned. "Why are you awake?" he asked.

"Dreams."

He pulled her closer and she snuggled into him. "Dreams of what?" he asked.

"The sea and the forest." She left out the wolves.

"The sea," he repeated. "At the beach?"

"Yes."

"It's the place between things. Conscious and unconscious merge there. Were you standing on the beach, looking out towards the sea?"

"Yes."

"Change," he added. "Lost?"

"In the forest?"

"Uh huh."

"Yes."

"You are searching for yourself. You want to understand yourself better."

"You should do that for real."

"I've done a lot of things." He rubbed her back with his fingers. "Anything else?"

"Wolves," she admitted.

"Ah." He paused. "Family, pack… you miss them."

"Okay, now you are freaking me out."

He chuckled. "Go back to sleep Izzy."

She closed her eyes, but she swore just before she fell asleep, she heard him say, "I dream of wolves too."

888888888888

They woke up and had sex again. He made breakfast; pancakes, even though it was closer to lunchtime. She threw her clothes in the washer. They laughed and chatted and cooked and read books; lying around in the warm apartment and watching the dreary Seattle rain. It didn't usually snow much in Seattle; too wet. The television stayed off by unspoken agreement.

Her clothes moved to the dryer.

It was the best Christmas day she had had in years. Night time approached and she was still with him. They cooked dinner and washed up together. Neither of them seemed eager to be alone. They ended up back on the sofas.

He sat up at one stage; he looked excited. "Road trip," he announced.

"What the…?"

"We'll drive… we'll get in the car and just drive."

"Drive? To where?"

"To this beach… you'll love it."

"I have no clothes…" she protested.

"They're dry now, aren't they?" he looked so eager. "Or you could borrow some fitness gear from me… come on… it'll be fun." He hauled her in against him. He kissed her on the neck. "I'll drive, you can doze off."

He held her face in his hands and looked into her eyes. "We'll get there and we can watch the sunrise together."

He was so eager and so excited. It had been years since she had been spontaneous. "Sure," she agreed. "Let's do that." She really liked Josh. She'd think about how to deal with that later. Right now; they were having fun.

They raided his cupboards and packed some food and drinks for themselves. And lots of blankets. They showered and then fell into bed for a quickie before they left. She bundled up and he locked up and they left his apartment. They had taken much longer to pack than they expected; they kept distracting each other.

They piled their stuff into the elevator and rode down to the parking garage. He had a four wheel drive in the garage. He drove through the Seattle traffic.

"How long will it take?" she asked.

"Not sure… especially today of all days. Maybe four hours." He glanced at her. "A little more with traffic. And the weather, of course."

She curled her feet up underneath her and read a book. The road was dark and she wasn't taking much notice of it. She fed him and they stopped at a service station to use the facilities and buy a hot drink and then they were back on the road.

Eventually she fell asleep. He reached over and pulled the book out of her hand. He smiled at her and brushed her face with the back of his fingers.

He drove unerringly to his destination. It had been a long time, but he knew where he was going. He pulled up at the beach and parked the car. He looked out the windscreen at the beach.

He jumped out and got a blanket from the back seat. He wrapped it around his shoulders and went to wake her up. "Izzy?" He kissed her awake. Her eyes opened slowly and she focused on him. She smiled at him.

"We're here." He pulled at her to get out of the car. "Come sit and watch the sunrise over the forest."

Her eyes slid away from his face. It was still dark.

"You've got the blankets?"

"I'll keep you warm," he promised. She put her shoes back on.

They unpacked their impromptu picnic and carried it away from the car. They stumbled over rocks in the dark; laughing as they went.

"Oh my god. It's so cold," she complained.

He sat her in front of him and wrapped them both in the blankets. She snuggled in against him. They drank hot coffee from the thermos and ate their snacks.

"Happy Christmas," he whispered in her ear.

"Yes, you too," she replied. "A day late," she quipped. She clutched at his hand.

She watched the light play across the landscape. She knew this place. It was karma. Some kind of twisted karma. He had brought her to Second Beach of all places. She looked at that oh so familiar island. She couldn't believe it.

"Isn't it beautiful?" he asked her.

"Yes. Yes it is." She was surprised by how steady her voice sounded. Five years. She assumed all the pack would still be around. Dear god, what if she ran into any of them? What if she saw Jacob?

He rocked her gently, pressing his cheek on the top of her head. She shuffled down and stupidly tried to hide. She clutched at him.

It _was_ beautiful.

She didn't regret her choice. She was alive. If she had stayed around here, she'd be dead. Even if she had stayed human, she just seemed to attract trouble here. She had never been to hospital as much in her life as she had been in her two short years here.

"You're Quileute," she stated.

"Yes." He sounded surprised. "How did you…?"

"I lived in Forks for a while." She shrugged.

"I didn't know."

"You couldn't."

There was silence as they watched the colours blossom in the landscape.

"Your dream?" he asked quietly.

"It was here…" she admitted.

Silence again.

"Wow," he finally said. "Look at me, Izzy."

She shifted around and straddled him. He held her face. "Are you okay?"

She just nodded. She felt like crying and she didn't know why.

Over his shoulder she could see a figure jogging along the road. Bella had a bad feeling about this. It was obviously a male and he was not wearing a shirt. He jogged closer.

It was Sam Uley. Karma was really kicking her butt today.

She sighed.

He jogged over and looked down at them. His face was his usual impassive mask.

"What are you doing here?" he growled at them through gritted teeth.

"Sam?" she blustered. "We just came to watch the sunrise."

Sam glared at her. "I wasn't talking to you, Bella." His eyes shifted back to Josh. "What are you doing here… Dad?"

FF_2154210_ - 8/12/2011 02:37:00 PM


	2. Chapter 2

**Standard garbled author notes. This started as a one shot. I know - when has she ever done that before? Heavy sarcasm. The first chapter got a lot of reviews and I asked people some questions when I answered them. "But there are a lot of things to think about. For example: why go back now? Are the wolf gods sending them *both* back? Dream messages... if so, why now? Do they need all available wolves? What if the older generation phased too? Is Josh really Embry's father? What the heck is Sam/Embry/Jake going to say? Are the Volturi coming? Are the Cullens still around? Has Jake imprinted in the five year gap?" And wonderfully, people responded. Some people said they had never done that before. It told me that there was quite an interest in this story. Problem was, my muse wandered off with Paul (always does… sigh) and I got embedded in Swan's Mate for Life and a few other original fics. But here it is, finally. The rest of the story. Enjoy.**

**mtr**

_Disclaimer: the characters and all recognisable situations belong to Stephenie Meyer - this is a work of fan fiction, except for the legends and histories of the Quileute that, of course, belong to them. I pay my respects to their gods._

"Sam?" Josh asked.

"Dad?" Bella repeated. "Dad?" She clambered off Josh's lap, even though he tried to hold her there.

He rose to his feet and stood. He managed to make it look dignified. He surreptitiously looked over Sam as he did it.

Bella wondered what he was thinking. Shit. She wasn't sure what she was thinking.

Sam watched him impassively. No one ever knew what Sam was thinking.

Bella felt that she owed Josh something. He hadn't planned this. This had to be almost the worst father son get together… ever. Given what little of his history he had told her. He had run and abandoned his family. And his family didn't look happy about it.

"How's Emily?" she blurted out.

Sam gave her an irritated look.

"Emily?" Josh repeated.

"She's Sam's-" She stopped.

"Wife," Sam substituted for her before she said imprint.

Josh looked at him. "You're married?"

There was an awkward pause, that Bella felt compelled to fill, "Oh, it was ages ago that he and Emily got together. You would have been… what… nineteen?"

"Stop it, Bella," barked Sam.

"I don't need your help," said Josh.

"Fine," she huffed. She threw her hands up in the air and turned her back on them both. She trod carefully across the pebbles until she got to the water's edge. She clenched her fists and she screamed across the silent water. "FUCK!"

When she turned back, they were both staring at her with identical looks on their faces. She didn't know why she hadn't seen the resemblance before.

"She's got history, here," Sam explained.

"She brought me here," said Josh.

Sam frowned. "I would have thought this was the last place on earth she would have wanted to go."

"Stop calling me 'she' and believe me," she snarked, "There are other places on earth I don't want to go to, worse than here." She frowned. "Did that make sense?"

"No," said Josh.

"You've got secrets, too," she told him.

"Yes," he agreed.

"Fuck! You two are the same. Same mono-syllabic answers."

Sam frowned at her.

"Sam?" she heard a voice call.

She knew that voice. Oh, fuck, no. "Jake?" she whispered.

"Here, Jake," Sam called, confirming her worst fears.

She clenched her fists and did a little, silent panic attack then put her hands over her face, as if that would hide her.

"Who's Jake?" Josh asked.

"I'll tell you later," she told him. "If I live that long." She took her hands away from her face and turned to face her fears.

"Who is it?" Jake said, as he jogged over to them. "I got some garbled message from Brady that…" He sniffed. He froze.

Bella looked him up and down. Jake was only wearing cut-offs, too and he looked like an amazing physical specimen. He had been impressive before, but five years had added some more meat to his bones; she didn't think it was possible. He had to be more than 6ft 7 now. He looked huge and he towered over Josh. Jake sniffed at Josh, now.

Bella realized that they had sex just before they got into the car for the trip here. Jake could, no doubt, smell her on Josh.

"Hey, Jake," Bella said and before she could stop herself, she waved one hand at him nervously. "Fuck," she swore and stuffed it into her pocket.

"Who is this?" he asked Sam.

"My father, Joshua Uley," Sam supplied.

"Joshua Uley," Jake repeated. He glared at Bella.

"We just came to see the sunrise," Bella explained. "We can go again, right now-"

"We?" Jake queried.

"No," Josh interrupted. "We are meant to be here." He gave Bella a look. "Your dreams. Wolves."

"Yes, they are," she confirmed. She hoped that Josh understood.

"Bella," Sam chastised.

"Oh, shut up, Sam!" she snapped. "He's Quileute. He ought to know."

Sam looked as if she had slapped him. Jake looked at her as if her head had rotated around.

"You swear now?" Jake asked.

"We need a tribal council meeting," Josh stated.

"Why?" asked Jake, still looking at Bella as if he didn't recognize her.

"The tribe is in danger."

"From you two?" Sam asked.

Josh ignored that. "I don't know what it is, but I know it's coming."

"You fuck him?" Jake asked her, ignoring Josh completely.

"Do we need to have this discussion, now?" Bella asked him. "And what's it to you?"

"Sam's dad!?"

"I didn't know he was Sam's dad, I just picked him up in a bar," she argued.

Sam snorted. "Some things never change," he muttered.

"She's right," Josh agreed. "I never told her my family name, but then again, she didn't tell me her name, either."

"Isabella Swan," Jake supplied for her.

"Jake," she hissed at him.

"Swan?" Josh repeated. "Not related to Charlie Swan?"

"Yep. Chief of Police in Forks, now," Sam added. "This is his daughter," he supplied with a wave of his hand at her.

"Fuck," said Josh.

Josh knew her father? Or her father knew Josh? Bella started pinching her arm.

"What are you doing?" Josh asked. He stepped closer to her and put his hand over hers; stopping her. "It's not a nightmare, although I get where you are coming from with that. I'd like to pinch myself, too." He smiled at her and she remembered what she had liked about him. She flung her arms around his neck and hugged him.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, even though she knew the others could hear it.

"Me too," he said. He kissed her on the forehead, and released her, but still held her hand. Bella clutched his hand with both of hers; she needed the anchor.

"Tribal council meeting," Josh repeated. "I really need to talk to Billy Black."

Sam and Jake exchanged a weighted look. "That might be difficult," said Jake. "He's ill."

"Oh, no, Jake," Bella sympathized. "Jake is Billy's son," Bella added for Josh's benefit. He had probably left before Jake was born.

Josh nodded. "I think I know what is wrong with him."

"How could you know that? You haven't even seen him," Sam said; he sounded derisive.

"Our heritage," Josh said.

"Ummm," Bella tried to say.

"We already know all about our heritage, old man," Sam said.

Josh studied them both. He nodded. "Yes, that makes sense."

Sam jigged his head at Bella. "It was her fault, actually."

"Was not," she argued. "They left because of me."

"After the damage was done," Sam retorted.

As if Sam didn't know the truth. The Cullens were in Forks for years before she arrived and before she left. "Stop being a dick, Sam," Bella snapped.

"Guys," Jake interjected. "We don't have time for old arguments." He looked at Josh. "I don't know who you are or what you think you can do for my father, but I don't see how it could hurt." His glance fell on Bella. "But thank you for bringing her back to me."

Josh went to answer him, but Bella clenched his hand hard enough to hurt. "Surely, that's up to her," he suggested benignly.

Bella was sure that was not what he had been going to say.

Jake laughed as if it would be no contest. Bella glared at him and cuddled closer to Josh.

The men turned and started to walk away. Josh threw the blanket around Bella's shoulders. "Swan?" he asked her.

"Uley?" she retorted.

He laughed. "Is this what you ran from? You were going to marry him?" he asked her, as he collected their breakfast gear and threw it in the car.

"Jake? No. It's a long and sordid story and we don't have time for it right now." She suddenly had an awful realization; Josh was the prime suspect to be Embry's father. She remembered Edward telling her that when he read all the pack minds. Josh didn't know that he might have another son, as well as grandchildren, maybe. He had not got around to asking Sam that question.

"What's the matter?" he asked her.

She just shook her head. "I have a feeling it is going to be a long and stressful day."

He kissed her quickly. "Then it's a good thing we had such a fantastic start."

"Yes." She smiled at him. "The dawn was beautiful. I didn't really get to thank you."

"You're welcome." He looked up the road at the disappearing backs. "Should we drive to the Black house?"

"Why not? It's warmer in the car, too and we will probably need it later." She clambered into the passenger seat.

Josh got into the driver's seat and started the motor.

"You know where their house is?" she asked him.

"The red Black house?" he checked.

"Yes, that's the one." She studied him as he reversed out. "Spooky coincidence. To run into your son."

He glanced at her. "I don't believe in coincidences."

"So you think it's… what? Fate?"

"Something like that."

"Huh. Fate put you in my bar and made you catch my eye."

"You already liked Quileute men, I can tell that. Of course, I caught your eye."

"So you were put in the bar for me?"

He grinned at her.

"I still don't believe in fate," she argued.

"What about them?" he asked as they drove past the two men jogging along the road.

"Shape shifters? Men who turn into wolves. Creatures of myth and fantasy? Like vampires?" she ventured.

He gave her a penetrating glance. "You get more interesting all the time, Izzy."

She snorted.

"They won't be offended that we didn't give them a lift?" he asked.

"Nope. If I know those two, they will be gossiping about us."

"Seems fair. We are gossiping about them."

Bella sighed. "I should have packed more clothes."

The car pulled up at the Black house. It was still red. It had been repainted recently, but it didn't take long for the sea air to leave its marks.

Josh was looking at Sam in the rear vision mirror.

"You'd be proud of him," she said quietly. "He's smart, responsible, a great leader and he adores Emily. He's-"

"Everything I'm not," interrupted Josh.

"He saved my life once," she said. He had found her that night she had got lost in the forest; chasing after Edward, after he had told her that he and his family were leaving and that she was not going with them. Twice, if you counted her meeting with Laurent; the dark skinned vampire that had nearly attacked her in the meadow.

"So I should thank him for that."

"Jake saved my life too; more than once."

Josh made an odd choking noise. "Damn girl, we really need to talk." He got out of the car and slammed the door. She was still sitting there, staring unseeingly out the windscreen. He frowned, walked around and opened her door. "This is really hard for you, isn't it?"

She took his hand and let him pull her out of the car.

He looked worried.

"Hard for me? What about you?"

He shrugged. He hugged her suddenly. "There's no point having your life saved to then not live it," he whispered in her ear.

"Pfft, don't go all Yoda on me now."

He pressed her up against the side of the car and kissed her deeply. "I'd rather go all something else on you," he said.

She chuckled. She whispered into his ear. "I didn't choose Jake, then; he knows that. I'm not sure what game he is playing, now."

He looked at her with his wise eyes. He nodded, looked as if he wanted to say something and thought better of it. The others had reached the house by then. "Later."

She nodded.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

I'll be home for Christmas

_Disclaimer: the characters and all recognisable situations belong to Stephenie Meyer - this is a work of fan fiction, except for the legends and histories of the Quileute that, of course, belong to them. I pay my respects to their gods._

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><p>She held Josh's hand as they went inside the Black house. Josh looked at the ramps and obvious signs of the residence of a disabled man and raised his eyebrows questioningly. Sam and Jake followed them in.<p>

Bella understood. It occurred to her to wonder how she always seemed to know what Josh was thinking. "Billy has diabetes. The nerve damage got so bad about six years ago, that he was confined to a wheelchair." She suddenly thought of something. She turned looking for Jake. "My red truck?" she asked him.

"He sent it to the scrap-yard," Jake replied. "Before he bought that insanely overpriced Mercedes thing."

She didn't need to know which 'he' Jake meant. Edward had always hated that truck; mostly because it was built by Jake. Almost as much as she had hated Edward's pre-change purchase; that obscene display of wealth that had pretended to be a car, the Mercedes Guard. The pack would have shown Jake memories of her stalling that car incessantly. She couldn't even drive it properly. The only good thing Edward had ever done with her truck was pull a dent out of the fender one day when she was washing it, but probably because he wasn't thinking about it at the time. And besides, he had made the dent in the first place when he had shoved it out of her way in the school parking lot before Tyler's van hit her. Starting the whole crazy chain of events.

"Oh." She felt oddly disappointed. A scrap-yard.

"I rescued it," Jake added.

"Really?" Then she suddenly felt guilty for being so overjoyed about her truck being okay. "Oh, um," she added, "That's good. I loved that truck."

"Yeah." Jake grinned at her. For just a second she saw the boy of her youth. The rascally boy that had got pleasure from irritating Edward Cullen. Mostly just by not wearing a shirt around him.

"Thanks, Jake."

"You can't have it back. It's Embry's red truck, now."

"Oh, that's okay. I am sure Embry will look after it."

At the mention of his name, some heavy looks were exchanged between Sam and Jake. "Embry," Jake repeated. Sam just nodded. Bella squeezed Josh's hand.

"What is wrong with Billy? What are his symptoms?" Josh asked. Bella suspected that he had changed the topic of conversation deliberately; maybe he just wanted to get on with it. He can't have known about Embry, could he? He'd already left the reservation before Embry was born. She thought Embry was a little older than Jake, but only by a few months. She frowned as she tried to do the math in her head.

"We don't know," Jake answered. "It started with body pain and an elevated temperature. We thought he had an infection but nothing showed up in the tests. Then he went into a coma."

Bella snapped out her calendar reverie, "Oh, Jake. No."

"That was two days ago. The medical center makes sure he's medically looked after, but we all felt he would be happier here." He paused. "And it was Christmas." He shrugged. "Paul and Rachel have gone to collect Rebecca from the airport."

"Yes, of course." It was _that_ serious that Rebecca had come from Hawaii. Billy must be dying.

Josh was staring at the floor. "Two days," he repeated.

"What?" Bella asked.

"Dream. He was in my dream. Two days ago."

"Who was?" Bella checked. "Billy?"

Josh nodded.

"Was he walking?"

"Kind of," Josh answered enigmatically.

She looked at him for a beat. "You interpreted my dream. What dreams have you been having?" It was a perceptive question.

"Ones that I ignored." He put his hand over his face as if he was suddenly tired.

Bella realized that he had driven all night, and he probably really was tired. She put her hand on his arm. "Are you okay?" she asked.

"I just feel…" he stopped. "I'm okay. Let's see him, now."

Jake watched all this intently.

"I-I can take him," Bella suggested. "He's in his room?" she checked with Jake. He nodded.

"Tribal council Jake, please," Josh reminded him.

"Sure, sure," Jake said. "I'll make some phone calls and we'll round them up. Dad's not much up for chat, though."

Bella showed Josh up the hallway. She walked into the room but he stopped in the doorway into Billy's bedroom. It was the room of an invalid. It smelt like it. And taking up most of the space in the room, was a hospital grade bed with droppable rails, the hanging T-shaped handle above his head to pull himself upright in bed, and the wheelchair sitting empty in the corner. Billy's deeply wrinkled face lay on the pillow.

Josh clutched at the door frame.

"Josh?" Bella was concerned; he looked as if was going into shock.

"Billy?" He looked ashen. "He looks so old… so ill."

"It's been a progressive thing. He's been in the chair since 2005, when I moved to Forks. That's why I got the old truck," Bella heard herself babbling inanely. She had never thought about whether Josh knew Billy. But it made sense; they were a similar age, or close to it. And the reservation was so small. They must have known each other.

Josh approached the bed as if was the last thing he wanted to do; with slow, cautious steps. He lifted Billy's hand and held it in both of his. He squeezed it gently and then placed it carefully back down on the bed.

"You were friends?" Bella asked. She could just tell from the look on his face.

He nodded. He crouched down next to the bed, until his face was level with Billy's and he looked at his profile. "Oh, Izzy," he said. "You should have seen him. You know what Jake looks like now? That's what Billy was like; though maybe not as tall. So strong, so vital. With that huge, barrel chest and those arms. All he did all day was work on his fishing boat and lift stuff… you know? He had biceps so big they had their own names… the only person who was bigger than him physically was Quil and Billy had him beat in the height department. He was a presence."

She remembered her impression of him at the bonfire when he told the legend of the tribe. When she looked at him, she always felt like she was seeing two people rather than just one. There was the old man in the wheelchair with the lined face and the white smile that everyone else saw. And then there was the direct descendant of a long line of powerful, magical chieftains cloaked in the authority he'd been born with.

The Quil he mentioned had to be Jake's friend Quil's father. Quil Ateara IV. She didn't think he was around anymore, but she couldn't be sure.

"He still _was a presence_, even in a wheelchair," Bella agreed.

Josh snorted. "I can imagine that." He studied Billy's face silently. "He had a dignity; a gravitas. He was the Chief. It was obvious. As if he wore it as if it was a cloak or something."

"Jake always complained about his silent treatment-"

"Yeah," Josh interrupted. "He always did that. You'd spill your guts to fill the silence."

She had an image of them; all as friends. "H-Harry?" she asked. Harry Clearwater; her father's fishing buddy and Seth and Leah's father.

"I was younger than the terrible trio but I always looked up to them."

She imagined he would have been like Seth was to Jake when he first phased; hero worshipping him.

"Harry Clearwater," Josh chuckled. "He was always so funny, so clever."

"Yes," she remembered him before he went hunting with Charlie. Before he died. "J-Josh," she started, "Harry's… dead." She didn't know how else to tell him, though she desperately wanted to stop the hits he was taking. It was too much; all at once. She was worried about him.

"No! How?" He looked devastated.

"He had a heart attack." The day she threw herself from a cliff. The day she was criminally egocentric. The day before she ran to Italy to save someone who wanted to destroy themselves.

Italy.

"A heart attack?" Josh asked.

Whatever thought she was having about Italy passed. "He had heart problems," she said. "I remember him complaining about Sue having him on diet of rabbit food. But it was seeing his daughter phase… turn into a wolf in front of him. The shock… it was too much."

"Girls do it, too?"

"Just the one, as far as I know."

"A female wolf!" It was an exclamation.

Silence for a beat.

"Quil?" he asked. He asked as if he knew the answer and didn't want her to confirm it.

Bella shook her head. She didn't know what had happened to Quil.

Sam appeared in the doorway behind his father. "Drowned," he said. "When Quil junior was little. It was a fishing boat accident."

"No!" Josh looked even more shocked now. "Not Quil," he whispered. His face pressed against the bed sheets. Then, suddenly, he lifted his head. "So there's only…?"

"Billy," said Sam. "He's all that's left of that group, now. But Old Quil is still alive and kicking."

And Charlie Swan, who had been friends with them all. Bella reached across the bed to hold Josh's hand and looked at Billy as he lay, helpless in his invalid bed and she prayed that he would be okay. He had had enough traumas in his life; he had already lost his wife and all his friends, except for Charlie, his daughters had moved away, unable to deal with the death of their mother and his son was a shape shifter. Surely that was sacrifice enough? He was the tribal chief of a tiny tribe that fought to stay in the lands it had occupied for two thousand years, against invaders, against white men, against tsunamis and against vampires. Enough, already. Please the gods, he'd had enough. It was time for things to go his way. She wished so hard for his luck to change.

Josh looked at Billy's set visage. "Oh, old friend, I am so sorry I did not come sooner. The spirits tried to tell me and I would not listen. I am so sorry," he repeated. He stood, bent at the waist, and he kissed Billy on the forehead. His lips stayed pressed there for longer than seemed necessary to Bella; even for an old friend.

Bella glanced at Sam and he shrugged. When Josh still hadn't moved Bella touched his arm. His hand went slack in hers.

"Josh?"

Then she pushed at him. She pushed him away from Billy's prone body. "JOSH!" she shouted it now.

Sam moved and caught him before his body hit the floor. "What the?" His father was unconscious in his arms.

Bella rushed to him. "What on earth?" she asked. But then she caught a movement at the edge of her vision. Billy was wriggling his fingers.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4 I'll be home for Christmas**

_Disclaimer: the characters and all recognisable situations belong to Stephenie Meyer - this is a work of fan fiction, except for the legends and histories of the Quileute that, of course, belong to them. I pay my respects to their gods._

**AN: I forgot to say - when I first wrote this I had Rick Mora in mind for Josh but in a few fics recently he is pretty well-recognised as Ephraim Black, the role he played in the Twilight movie, so I have changed my head pic of Josh to Benjamin Bratt… I mean why not? He's taller and so very handsome.**

* * *

><p>Sam carried Josh easily out of the room and laid him on the couch in the living room. Bella followed behind. She put a cushion under Josh's head.<p>

Jake was on the phone but gave them a questioning look.

"He collapsed," Sam supplied. "His heartbeat is steady, a little fast, but it seems okay."

Jake spoke into the phone, "Hang on, Sue. Josh has collapsed… if you want to, sure… come check him out… ten minutes? Yep…" He hung up.

"I'm glad she's coming," Bella said. "I think she should check Billy, too."

"Why?" Jake asked.

"I-I thought I saw Billy's fingers move. That's a good sign for a coma patient… right?"

Jake just ran into his father's room.

Sam was looking at Bella with an unreadable look on his face. "What did he do to Billy?"

"You saw it, Sam. He didn't do anything except talk about how he remembered Billy being when he was younger and kiss him. You _saw_ it!"

Sam huffed out a breath. He looked tired. "These last few weeks…" He sat down and put his face in his hands.

She had no idea what he was talking about but guessed it had to do with the rez. "Is Emily okay?" she asked.

"She's fine, she's Makah," he answered cryptically.

Bella didn't know what that meant. She needed some space. "Bathroom," she muttered and took herself to the toilet. She washed her face afterward and wondered why the heck this was happening to her… **again**. Weird, unexplained things. People not telling her everything. She had kept a lot of secrets for so many people for such a long time that she wasn't even sure which secrets belonged to whom anymore. She had thought karma was kicking her butt when she saw Sam at the beach, but it seemed like karma had started in on her a while before that. She told Josh that she didn't believe in fate but she was back in La Push for a start, surrounded by weirdness and half spoken truths. Again. More lies and more secrets and she was truly tired of keeping secrets.

And of course, part of her grand plan of run and hide for the last five years, was to avoid such weirdness. Avoid the supernatural. Choose a normal life. If looking over your shoulder constantly could be said to be normal. Damn it. If Josh wasn't awake she was going to kick him herself.

He had brought her here. It was all his fault.

She stomped out of the bathroom and caught sight of a looming figure that appeared in the hallway. He moved quickly towards her then stopped as if he wasn't sure of his welcome.

"Embry!" she squealed and threw herself at him. After Jake had his lupine hissy fit and disappeared for the whole time before her non-wedding, she had spent many phone calls checking in with Seth or Embry to see if he was in range, was he talking to anyone, when was he coming back, what he thought he was doing by this, etc.

"You came back!" Embry picked her up and gave her a massive hug. It was a 'Jake hug' and it was only as he did it that she realized she had missed Jake hugging her. He had been extremely careful to stay a long way away from her since her sudden reappearance. Jake had never kept his distance before from her; he was usually _always_ hugging her; always touching her.

"Oh, Embry," she breathed.

"You okay, Bells?"

"No," she whispered. She blinked quickly.

"Come on." He put his arm over her shoulder and shepherded her out the door. "Let's get some fresh air," he suggested.

"But I'll freeze to death," she whimpered.

"Not with me," he said.

They sat on the front porch step and he pulled her in close and hugged her again. She did feel warm. They sat there in companionable silence for a few minutes. The day was still so early and she could hear the rez coming to life. The fishing boats were probably long gone.

"Whassup, Bells?"

"Jake's being a dick."

He chuckled. "You swear now?" he teased.

"Yes, I do and no, he is being a dick. He made some comment about me coming back to him and he's being horrible and he won't hug me."

"He kind of still hasn't forgiven you."

"Seriously?"

Embry nodded.

"For not choosing him?"

Another nod.

"You told him, right?"

"Replayed word for word, just like you asked me to before you left."

She sighed. "He's had plenty of time. Five years."

"I think he is conflicted. He knew you were not a vampire. He was happy about that. But still a little cranky that after everything he did for you; you didn't choose him."

"I chose myself, Embry. If I had chosen either of them, it would have been disastrous. I love him, but - and it sounds horrible to say - but I love him like a brother. A big, huggy brother."

"I know that," he whispered. "But **he** still doesn't."

"Ugh." she threw her hands up in the air. "How long is it going to take?"

"Until he imprints, I should think."

"He still hasn't? So no wife and kids for Jake?"

"No."

"What about you?"

"Imprinted? Nope. Quil is still with Claire. She's eight now."

"Do you think he will?"

A shrug. "Who knows?"

"Gah. Should I start praying, that he does?"

Embry smiled. "Maybe."

"I hear you stole my truck."

"Stole? It was abandoned by its heartless owner."

"Oh, before I forget. There's something you should know." She turned to face him and looked so suddenly serious that he frowned at her.

She twisted her hands together - an old habit. "A few days ago, I picked up a guy in a bar-"

"Whoa! Bella. I don't need to know that." He had his hands up in front of him.

"No, really… it's important. It kind of concerns you. Or it might not, I'm honestly not sure."

"Okay." He sounded doubtful.

"I didn't know this guy; he was cute and a little bit older… okay - a lot older…"

"Seems like you have a thing for older men, Bells," Embry joked.

"Yeah. Ha ha ha. Edward was old, eh? But anyway, he brought me here. He's Quileute, Embry." She peered at his face, willing him to understand.

"So?"

"I didn't know his full name until today… it was one of those physical attraction thing-"

Embry raised his hand in a stop gesture. "I really don't need to know about that."

"Oh. Yeah." She bit her lip nervously. "Josh… his name is Josh."

She had Embry's full attention now.

"Joshua Uley," she continued.

He blinked. "**The** Joshua Uley?"

"Yes. Sam recognized him in another pack member's head… ahhh Brady, I think he said and then Sam came down to the beach to talk to us."

"Oh." He bit his lip.

Silence.

"I don't think he knows about you, Embry. Not that I am sure of anything, we didn't actually discuss it, but I just thought you should know." She reached for his hand. He let her hold it; it felt super warm, the way they always felt to her.

"He's still here?"

"He's inside. Something really weird happened. He was talking to Billy. He wanted to see him and then… and then I was thinking that I just wanted Billy's tragedy to stop and Josh kissed him."

Embry raised an eyebrow.

"On the forehead," she added. "And then he passed out."

"Where is he?"

She stood, tugging Embry's hand with her. "I'll come with you," she suggested.

"Thanks, Bells."

Josh must have been moved to Jake's bed when he hadn't immediately woken up. Embry walked right in and stood next to the bed, looking down at him. He studied his face with intense concentration.

"Do you think I look like him?" he asked her.

She shrugged. "I don't know. I saw a photo of him when he was younger and he was very striking. Like you, Embry."

He grinned at her. "Flatterer." His glance traveled back to Josh's face, and the smile faded. "I used to stare at every guy on the rez, you know? Did I have his ears or that guy's nose or that guy's jaw?"

"I can imagine." Clearly Embry's mother was still keeping his paternity a secret. That had never made sense to her. What point was there to it? It just seemed to hurt Embry.

Bella waited. When Embry didn't speak again, she said, "I suppose you knew that it had to be a Quileute guy when you phased?"

"Yes. Had to be a direct descendant of the last wolf pack. Ephraim Black and so on."

"I see."

"I even compared wolf colors, you know? But I'm gray like Leah and Paul and they aren't related. And even Leah and Seth are brother and sister and nothing alike in wolf color. Drove myself and everyone else nuts. But my father has to be a wolf descendant. There's three wolf genes; Uley, Black and Ateara. All from the first pack, but the Clearwaters carry all three because of the way their family has intermarried with the others. Most of the other pack members only have one gene, Jake has two."

"You've done some research since I was away."

"Yeah. Things have been weird lately, though." His head lifted. "Yeah," he said a little louder. "So, Jake's being a dick and no, I don't know why." He winked at her and she hid her smile.

Jake appeared in the doorway behind them. "Funny, Embry."

"Jake, I didn't hear you come in," he lied. "Check out this handsome devil." He waved a hand at Josh's prone form.

"Pfft… I wouldn't say-" Jake stopped, suddenly aware of the trap. If he dissed him and he _was_ Embry's dad, he was dissing Embry's dad. "Well, clearly Bella thinks he's cute."

"Yes, she does," she agreed. She reached out and stroked Josh's forehead. "But she's really worried about him." She frowned. "He's hot, Jake."

"Yeah, you think so-"

"No. I mean his body temperature. He's as hot as you guys." She had only realized it after holding Embry's hand and getting a hug from him. Josh was too hot for a human. Hotter than he had been.

Embry reached out and placed the back of his hand against Josh's forehead. Then he tried feeling the back of his neck. "She's right. His temperature is too high."

Jake and Embry exchanged another glance she didn't understand.

"I am getting seriously annoyed with the heavy glances and the _not_ talking," she spat out at them before she stomped out of the room without waiting for a reply.

Annoyed by more secrets, Bella hurried to the bathroom to wet a facecloth to place on Josh's forehead. She had to do something.

Jake went to check on his father again. Sue Clearwater came in the front door while she was fetching the cloth. She got such a shock at seeing Bella in the hallway that she clutched at her chest.

"Oh, my God. Bella? Is that you?"

"Sorry, Sue. I didn't mean to shock you. Didn't Jake tell you I was here? On the phone?"

"No. he didn't." She glared at him as he stuck his head out of Billy's room.

He folded his arms. "She said she saw his fingers move."

"Let me check Josh, first." She gave Bella another look. "Your father doesn't know you are here." It was a statement.

"No." She huffed out a breath. "Not, yet."

"Don't leave it too late," Sue advised. "You _**really**_ don't want someone else to tell him."

"I know that, it's just…" She trailed off.

"Difficult. I get that." Sue gave her another look over, and then she seemed to make a decision. "He's close, he's at my house. We are dating."

"Dating?" She'd never thought about that, before. Her father had never dated, as far as she knew. Many things had clearly changed after Harry's death. She hadn't noticed them getting closer before the wedding, but then she hadn't exactly been taking much notice of her human friends and family. Her entire focus had been on Edward and his family.

Sue's face shifted into a wry smile. "Joshua Uley?"

Bella rolled her eyes. "I didn't _know_ he was Joshua Uley, all right?"

Sue chuckled. "Sure." She pushed past Bella. "Let me check his vitals."

She did that as Bella spread the cool cloth on his brow. Bella studied him and stroked his face with her fingers. "He feels hot to me."

"Yes, his body temperature is too high, but his heart rate and blood pressure are fine." She packed away her equipment. "Have you tried to wake him?"

"No. But we haven't tried to be quiet, or keep our voices low either. He hasn't moved at all."

"Okay. Keep an eye on him. I will go check on Billy." Sue stood and made to leave. "If only to keep Jake happy. I fear…" She didn't finish that sentence. She looked suddenly tired.

If Sue thought Billy was dying, things must be very serious indeed. "I'm sure he will be okay, Sue." She didn't know what else to say.

Sue nodded, but didn't answer her. She just left to continue her nursing.

Bella looked at Josh again. He looked too young to be collapsing like this.

"He looks like he's dreaming," Embry spoke quietly from the chair in the corner of the room. "His eyes are moving in his head. Like they do when people dream." Bella had forgotten he was still there.

"I wish I was dreaming," said Bella. "I'm so tired after working such long hours and not getting much sleep recently. Other than a nap in the car."

Embry looked at her with his deep eyes. "Call your father," he said.

She squirmed.

"Don't make me say the obvious," he said with a head jig at Josh.

"Even though you just did," Bella said. She had a father. Maybe Embry did, too. He hadn't said it, but she knew what he meant. He had just got his back (maybe - if it was even him) and she might lose hers if she didn't handle this well.

"Call him," he insisted.

"Fine," she huffed. She stomped out to the kitchen and grabbed the handset from the wall. It was still the old one with the long cord that tangled itself up. She stopped. She didn't know the number.

She turned around to ask Embry and he was already there. He told her and she dialed it.

"Clearwater house," Charlie answered.

"Ch- Dad?"

There was silence. She could hear him take a rasping breath. Embry held her hand. She bit her lip and looked at his face. He nodded encouragingly.

"Dad? It's Bella. I'm at Jake's. It's a long-"

The phone slammed down.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5 - I'll be home for Christmas**

_Disclaimer: the characters and all recognisable situations belong to Stephenie Meyer - this is a work of fan fiction, except for the legends and histories of the Quileute that, of course, belong to them. I pay my respects to their gods._

"What happened?" Embry asked. "Did he hang up?"

She just nodded. She had never imagined that Charlie would take it this badly. She knew she hadn't treated him well over the years. The wonder of hindsight. She carefully placed the receiver back on the telephone base.

"Brace yourself," suggested Embry.

She looked blank.

"He's probably coming here," he added.

She hadn't thought of that. "Oh, fuck."

She walked out onto the porch and she could hear him coming; the grating noise of tires on gravel. The patrol car screeched to a halt, the door flung open and her father, neatly pressed as always in his uniform was running towards her. He must have been about to leave for work.

She emitted a stifled sob. "Dad!" she wailed, as she moved towards him. He grabbed her, holding her in against him and she sobbed. "I'm s-sorry."

He didn't say anything at first and it took her a while to understand that he was crying as well. He was doing a good manly job of trying not to.

"Oh, kiddo," he finally got out. "Five years. I have missed you so much."

"I didn't even call you for Christmas."

"You're here now, that's the best present I could ever get."

They hugged each other again. He felt so familiar in his uniform with his belt and badge and everything else pressing against her. Noses were blown and eyes wiped. Sue and Embry had carefully waited for them.

"Maybe we should all go inside?" Sue suggested. She hugged Charlie, too and gave him a worried smile.

"I need a coffee," Bella said.

By the time they were all seated at the kitchen table, everyone had got themselves under control.

"I hesitate to ask why you have come back now," Charlie said.

"It was a kind of an accident," she said.

"You _accidentally_ came home?" Charlie asked.

"There was supposed to be a tribal council meeting," Sue put in, "But I'm not sure if that is happening now, either."

Charlie glanced at Embry and Bella somehow got the impression that Charlie was now privy to the wolf pack secret. If so, it was a recent thing. She was sure he would have roared at her on the phone for dating a vampire, if he had known the whole story the last time they spoke.

She tried to ask Embry the question with her eyes and a head jig at Charlie; he got it. He nodded.

She huffed out a breath.

"Yes," said Charlie ominously.

Bella cursed him silently for never missing a beat.

"Should I ask what on earth you thought you were doing?"

"Well, I didn't, did I?" she argued. "Didn't marry him." Didn't become a vampire, she left unsaid. Even though it was all she had wanted at that stage.

Charlie humphed and mumbled something.

Feet thundered on the porch again.

"Uh-oh," said Embry.

"**Where is he?!"** a woman roared, as she came storming into the suddenly even smaller house. Bella had never seen her before.

"Who the fuck are you?" she snarled at Bella, the second she caught sight of her.

"Now, Allison," Charlie started.

Oh dear God. It had to be Allison Uley. Sam's mother. Josh's ex. "He's in-," Bella started to say.

"You idiot, Sam," said Embry.

"Mom, you said you wouldn't do this," Sam pleaded with her.

"Who is HE?" Charlie asked. "Oh, no." he turned suddenly and glared at Bella.

"What?" she defended.

Everyone was shouting and roaring at each other; it was complete chaos.

"SHUT UP!" Jake's voice boomed out. Whether it was the alpha timbre or he was just that angry; everyone fell silent. Even Charlie. "There are sick people in this house. Have some respect."

Everyone's heads dropped.

"Sam, take her home," he ordered. "NOW!"

"Not before I kick him," Allison argued.

"There's a queue of people to do that, believe me. And you are _**not**_ first in line."

"Why not? I ought to be." She stopped and took a breath and then she gave Jake an odd look. "I j-just… c-can I see him?" she asked in a far more reasonable voice. "I heard he collapsed. Is he okay?"

Jake breathed out slowly. He gave her a careful look and then he nodded. "Embry?" he asked.

"Sure, Jake." Embry rose to his feet and ushered Allison Uley to Jake's room.

Sam went to step forward but Jake nailed him with another look.

"She's my mother," Sam argued.

"And you, of all people, should have known what a bad idea it was to tell her he was here."

"Are you talking about Joshua Uley?" Charlie ventured.

Jake nodded. He glanced at Bella.

"What does it have to do with Bella?" Charlie asked.

"Ask her," Sam said. "She brought him back."

"He brought _**me**_ back and I have no clue what is going on," Bella said. "He said he wanted a tribal council meeting and then he passed out."

"Joshua Uley?" Charlie checked again.

"For the tenth time, I didn't know it was him," Bella argued.

Charlie looked as if he was working himself up to something; his mouth opening and closing and no sound coming out of it. "He - he is my age," Charlie finally spluttered.

"So? It was okay for me to date a vampire?"

"When did I say it was okay to date a vampire?! Just because I haven't shouted at you about that, **yet**."

Jake grabbed her around the top of the arm and hauled her out of her chair. "We need to talk," he growled at her. It did stop the argument with Charlie simply because he had no one left with whom to argue.

He stood there, looking lost for a second and then he sat down.

Jake dragged her outside. She fought him the whole way, smacking at his hands and insisting she could walk by herself. They stood outside, near Charlie's patrol car.

"What did Josh do to Dad?"

"Nothing. Why? Is he all right?" Bella was pacing up and down.

"I dunno. He's twitching."

"Honestly, Jake he wasn't there for long enough to do anything."

"Something happened."

"Well maybe he's getting better?"

"His feet, Bella. He's moving his feet." Jake whispered it. "He hasn't been able to use them for years."

She stopped pacing. "Oh, my god." She knew Billy had been in the chair for years. Diabetes impaired the pancreas and caused nerve damage in the outer limbs. For Billy that was his feet. "But… that's good news, right?"

"You don't know?"

"No, I don't and I am getting mightily pissed with people saying that all the time and STILL not telling **me what I don't know**."

"You've changed," Jake said. It didn't sound complimentary.

She snorted. "You too. You used to tell me everything unless your freaking jaw was locked shut." She poked him in the center of his chest, hard.

"Fine."

"Fine," she huffed back at him.

Jake blurted out, "We think more kids are phasing."

She blinked. "What the…" She thought about it. There was only one reason the Quileute would need more wolves. "Vampires?"

"Haven't seen any. Not on patrol. Not even a scrap of a scent of one anywhere. And believe me, we've looked."

"Of course, you would have looked. A hidden enemy, maybe building up numbers, like before. With Victoria." She didn't believe it even as she said it.

"Well, she's ash and there's nothing else. No unexplained deaths means no new vampires turned or fed. There aren't any attacks on hikers like there was the last time this happened. Unless they are more 'veggie' vamps like the Cullens and they aren't feeding on humans. But even then, there should be a decrease in larger animals in the forest and we haven't noticed that either."

"The Cullens?" she asked carefully.

"Left when you did. Shuttered up the house and left it. So it isn't them, either. And after five years, it can't still be happening. And it's getting worse."

"Is it the women, too? Sam said something odd. He said Emily was okay because she was Makah. I didn't get it at the time. But did he mean more women are phasing, too?"

Jake just nodded. "Rachel phased."

"Well, Leah might be happy about that," she tried.

"No-one is happy for the tribe to have more wolves, Bella."

"Of course not, Jake. It's hard enough to keep them all fed, I should think. Let alone deal with all the other issues."

"Did Josh know? About the tribe?"

"I don't know. He did say something to your father; something like the gods tried to tell him and he wasn't listening."

"That's what he said?"

"Ask Sam. He was there. We were talking about Billy and all his friends. How they were all gone and that he was the last."

"I'll ask Sam. He didn't say anything else?"

"Seriously, I met him two days ago. We weren't talking about wolves…" she stopped suddenly.

"What?"

"Actually we _were_ talking about wolves. Dreams. I had a dream."

"And?" Jake prompted when she didn't speak.

"In the dream, I was here. At the beach. With wolves. I told Josh about it, without telling him it was La Push, I mean I didn't even know he was Quileute then and he was half asleep, but he said I was missing family; he said the pack was the representation of my family. But what if it wasn't? What if the pack was, well, the _**pack**_?"

"You still have dreams?"

"Not for a while, but Jake, I thought I heard him say that he dreamed of wolves, too." She shrugged. "I was falling back to sleep and I didn't catch it clearly."

Jake snorted, and then chuckled.

"What?" She smacked him on the arm.

"Your pillow talk is about wolves?"

"Oh shut up. At least I have pillow talk."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh come on, you can tell me."

"No. I am not telling you anything."

"But there is someone, right? Leah?" she pushed.

"Heck no. She's with Embry."

"Embry?"

"What's wrong with Embry?"

"Nothing. I just thought he would never have caught Leah's eye."

"It works because he just lets all her shit flow over the top of him. I swear, he's like a rock in the raging stream. She'd make me nuts in a week. They are like friends with awesome benefits."

She chuckled. "I can see that. He's reliable and solid and he'll never let her down."

Jake glanced at her. "There's no one special," he confessed. "Imprinting."

She nodded. "I get that. You can't get too involved with someone you can't be with. That's what I'm doing, too."

"Playing the field?"

"No. I just don't look for what I used to."

"No more happy ever after?"

"Yeah. Forget that crap. Keep it casual, I say."

"Uh-huh. And where does Josh fit into that?"

"Oh, he's definitely casual."

Jake shook his head slowly. "I don't think so, Bells."

She noticed the use of her old nickname. "Why?"

"I don't know." Jake pursed his lips. "You seem different with him somehow."

"I do?"

"Call it wolf instinct or whatever. After a few years practice, I finally listen to him a little more than I used to." Jake's head lifted suddenly. "Wait a second… why can't _**you**_ be with anyone? The Cullens let you go, didn't they? You could be married with kids by now."

"Yes, they did. At least, I haven't heard from them in years." She twisted her hands together and looked down at them. "Edward kept that promise, I suppose."

"Bella," Jake chided. "You are avoiding answering the question."

"I know. I still have some secrets that are not mine to tell."

"Still?"

She lifted her head and they stared at each other. He reached out a hand and pressed his palm against her cheek. "You've _still_ got secrets?"

She just nodded. He reached around and finally, he gave her a proper Jake hug. She leaned into him and slid her arms around his waist. She pressed her face in against his chest. He leaned his cheek on the top of her head.

"Jake?" she was muffled.

"Yeah?"

"When did you come back? Before the wedding, I spoke to Embry and told him to tell you my decision because you were still … gone."

"I was already coming back."

She leaned back a little to see his face. "You were? I must have just missed you."

"I wanted to dance with you at your wedding."

"Oh, Jake." Her throat caught. She shook her head mutely. She didn't want to cry again. "You were going to do that? For me?"

"Yeah, Bells. I told you I loved you and that I would keep fighting for you until your heart stopped beating." He shrugged. "It was still beating. Even if you were going to marry him, at that point it was still beating."

"And now?" she asked tentatively. "What about now?"

"I meant what I said about listening to the wolf, Bells. I can't explain it. But I think the wolf thought you were important and he still thinks you are. The gods know he made me go far beyond what I should have… I was an annoying pest, all to try and stop you being with him; stop you becoming a vampire."

She thought about it. He really had. He had tried so hard to convince her of her mistake. And in the end, she had got it. At the last minute. And he wasn't even there to influence her. "It was my decision, in the end."

"Yes. But Edward ran your life, Bells. We could all see it."

"He filled in my college forms for me. Chose my car and bought it for me without any input from me at all."

"Yeah. That kind of stuff. That isn't love."

"I know." She shrugged. "I thought it was, then."

"No, you didn't."

Jake had always called her on her crap. "Fine," she huffed. "It was so hard to call a halt to the wedding juggernaut. It all got out of control so fast. And I really did love him."

He studied her.

"Right."

"I can't explain it either, Jake. I would have doubts and I would get angry with him… and then, the second I saw him again, they would all evaporate. Almost as if I forgot what I wanted to say."

"Oh, that one's easy," Jake laughed.

She frowned at him.

"He glamoured you."

"What?"

"A vampire is the ultimate predator. They exist to trap people; to snare them; to convince them the vampires are beautiful and they want to be near them. Like bees being attracted to flowers. It's a seriously unfair advantage, if you ask me," he grizzled.

She heard an echo of Edward's voice. 'Everything about me invites you in,' he had said. He had told her as much and she had never put it together. "Fuck!" She poked Jake in the chest. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"You would _**not**_ have listened to me."

"No," she admitted, "I suppose I wouldn't have."

"Plus, you intrigued him because he couldn't read your mind, it made you that much more difficult than any other woman, and I reckon he got off on that; seeing if he could still influence you. But if he had turned his charm on any other woman…" Jake shrugged. "… it probably would have been the same result. He just would have been marrying them, not you."

Bella tried to think about it. The whole school had been obsessed with the Cullens and Edward, in particular, because he held himself so aloof. He had played hard to get extremely well. She had a vague recollection of Jessica whining about that. She had been out with Edward when other women had tried to pass him their phone numbers. Even if he wasn't trying to attract them; so imagine how it would be if he was trying? Like with her.

"Also," Jake added, "call it a naive sixteen year old boy, who hoped you'd choose him for the right reasons, not reject the other guy for the wrong reasons."

She looked at him. "I'm sorry I didn't choose you, Jake."

He gave her a small smile. "It's okay, Bells. I can see now, that you were never meant to be mine. Seeing you again… you're different. You're not how I remembered you."

Jake always did have an idealized vision of her. It made sense to her that he might have clung to that after she left.

"But I'm glad you came back," he added.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6 - I'll be home for Christmas**

AN: some people have asked about the dates and ages of people.

13 August 2006 - wedding date - Bella runs and hides for five years so that makes it Christmas 2011 for this story.

13 September - Bella's birthday, so she is now 24

Josh married at 18 (in my AU) left when Sam was a baby so he must be 19 plus Sam's age (dob 1986) So that makes Josh 19+25 or about 44- let's say 45 as it is the end of the year. Benjamin Bratt is 49 in real life, so that works for me.

Charlie is born in 1964.

One thing to change… Billy is born in the mid 1950's according to canon. I don't see how that works if he and Charlie were friends as kids, which is I think, canon, too. So Billy is going to lose ten years… lol.

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><p><em>Disclaimer: the characters and all recognisable situations belong to Stephenie Meyer - this is a work of fan fiction, except for the legends and histories of the Quileute that, of course, belong to them. I pay my respects to their gods.<em>

Embry appeared suddenly on the porch. "Jake?"

"Yeah?"

"It's your dad."

"Dad?" Jake's face looked suddenly like that of a small boy who was terrified.

"You need to come now."

"Oh Jake, I'm so sorry," Bella sympathized.

"No, Bella," Embry said. "He seems to be waking up."

They ran.

The wolves beat her to the bedside, of course. The tiny room seemed even more cramped with Charlie, Sue, and Jake in there. Embry hovered uncertainly outside the door. Bella wasn't sure what to do but then Embry placed a big hand firmly in the center of her back and pushed her inside the room.

"But—" she said.

"Go."

"Too crowded."

"It's fine. Sam and Allison are gone. Ducked out the back door to avoid Jake. I'll sit with Josh for you."

"Thanks, Embry."

"Bella?" a croaky voice called her name.

She saw Billy, looking very different to the way he had earlier. He seemed to have more color in his face and he was looking at her with a look of wonder. He was even sitting up a little in his bed, pillows piled behind him. He glanced at Charlie.

"I know," Charlie agreed.

"About time."

She smiled at him, genuinely pleased to see him awake.

"Look at you, Old Man," Charlie said. "We were ready to light the fires under you."

"Not yet," Billy replied. They clasped hands warmly and Charlie patted him on the shoulder with his other hand.

Sue was fiddling with some medical equipment. "This is weird," she muttered.

"What is?" Charlie asked.

"His blood sugar levels are normal."

"You must have made a mistake," Jake said.

Sue glared at Jake. "I don't make mistakes, Jacob."

"He's healed?" Charlie asked.

"People don't heal diabetes. They can get it under control and that's all," Sue insisted. It sounded like she had had this argument before.

"I feel fine," Billy argued.

"Bullshit," Sue said.

Jake looked surprised.

"You are in pain, William Black. I can tell from that pulse in your jaw."

Billy huffed.

"Where?" Sue pressed.

"Feet," he grunted out.

"Feet?"

"Like the worst pins and needles, but the rest of me feels fine. In fact, pretty good."

"Sure, sure," Sue said. "You look a lot better in the face."

Bella almost smirked to hear Jake's trademark response come out of Sue's mouth.

Sue pulled back the blankets and went to touch Billy's foot and he shouted, "Don't!" and yanked it back suddenly.

Everybody froze.

"What the?" said Billy. "How did I do that?"

"You were moving your feet earlier - in your sleep," Jake pointed out, "After Josh collapsed."

"Josh?" Billy looked astonished. "Josh Uley? He was really here?"

Everyone looked confused.

"Yeah, he was here," Charlie said with a glare at Bella, "but how could you know? You were unconscious."

"I was talking to him."

"Dad, you were unconscious."

"No, he was in my head."

"When?" asked Bella. "I mean was it minutes ago or hours ago."

"Oh, I understand. It's hard for me to say when it was; it was a dream. Just before I woke up. I was sitting on the cliff. You know the one where the kids dive."

Bella and Jake exchanged a look.

"I was sitting right on the edge with my feet dangling over the surf. No idea how I got there, you know what dreams are like. And then Josh called to me. Said I was needed by the tribe. I told him I was tired and old. He just laughed and said I had been sitting on my butt for years. And it was about time that I got up and walked on my own two feet. I turned around and he held my hand and pulled me up to my feet."

"Did he kiss you?" Jake asked.

"No." Billy looked doubtful. "What is going on?"

"We were hoping that you could tell us."

"Ask Josh."

"He's out cold now."

Everyone looked serious.

"Did he wear himself out?" Jake asked the room. "He did something… I know he did." He blinked quickly as he looked at his father; healed and alive. "You were d-dying." His voice caught.

"Son-"

Jake hugged him; burying his face in his father's shoulder.

"Where's your sister?"

"Rachel went to the airport to collect Rebecca."

"Oh," said Billy over Jake's head. "I really _was_ that bad?"

Sue nodded.

Jake stood up again and rubbed at his eyes. Bella held his hand.

"What did Josh look like?" Bella asked. "In the dream?"

"Ah… I'm not sure. Older, but then aren't we all? No, wait… he was in the shaman regalia."

Jake looked intrigued. "Like old Quil wears? The wolf skin?"

"Yes. I hadn't noticed it at the time."

"He's not a shaman," said Sue.

"He was in my dream," Billy insisted.

Charlie frowned as if he was thinking. "Did Old Quil have a look at you?"

"When he was ill?" Sue asked.

Charlie nodded.

"Yes, he did everything he knew how to do. He spent hours praying here by Billy's bedside."

"Sam said he was still alive." She couldn't quite believe it. Old Quil had seemed ancient to her five years ago.

"He's only eighty five," Jake said. "Still makes Quil crazy."

"Call him," said Billy. "He might be able to help Josh."

"On it," Embry called out as he moved up the hallway to the phone.

"I don't understand how the shaman thing works," Bella said. "Does it pass through families?"

"Not necessarily," Sue answered her. "But it often seems that the family has a gift for it." She glanced at Jake.

"Unfortunately Quil V doesn't seem to have the gift."

Bella thought that might be right, she had only ever known Jake's friend Quil as a clown and a joker.

Sue added, "Old Quil has been concerned about this for some time. He has been searching for his own replacement."

Billy was following the discussion and looking perplexed. "How long have I been here and what has been happening?"

"Days," Sue answered. "And…" She stopped and just shook her head.

"Josh said you were in his dreams two days ago," Bella said.

Jake gave her a grateful look as if he appreciated her changing the subject.

"I don't remember earlier dreams. It was all a bit hazy."

Bella stifled a yawn and Billy yawned as well.

"You need to rest," Sue suggested to Billy. "And before you argue with me, I know you are still in pain. So let me give you something and you let those feet rest. Your fever is still a little high."

"Don't rush it," said Charlie.

"All right," Billy agreed.

Jake's head lifted. "Car. That's probably Paul and Rachel back."

In order to give the family some privacy, Bella snuck back in to hold Josh's hand.

It wasn't long before her father joined her.

"You okay, Dad?"

"Is it just me, or does this seem like a long day already?"

"No." She smiled. "It's not just you."

He stared at the sleeping man on the bed.

Bella was dying to ask him what he was thinking, but knew her father well; he'd get around to it if he wanted to. "I am so glad Billy is feeling better."

"Still a concern."

"Here," She offered. She moved to sit on the bed and let her father sit on the chair. She put Josh's hand in her lap.

"You know… for the first time in a long time, I think I will call in sick today."

"Me showing up and Billy waking up would be excuse enough but are you following your gut instinct?" Charlie had often spoken to her about how cops were used to following hunches, trusting their guts as he termed it.

"Yeah. I think I had better stick around, but I want to go home and get changed."

Home. If he was living at Sue's, what had happened to their old home?

"The house in Forks?" she asked.

He shrugged. "Still there. Technically I can't be Chief of Police for Forks and not have an address _in_ Forks. No one particularly cares that I don't actually live there."

She nodded.

He added, "So… it's still there… waiting for you." Another shrug.

He studied her face.

"I don't know," she pre-empted, before he asked her to move in.

"You didn't go to your mother's."

"No."

"The Cullens were pretty decent about canceling it all."

She could say nothing to that. This was a topic they had both avoided in their infrequent phone calls of the last five years. What had happened after the wedding was canceled.

"Damned if I know what you were running from."

She knew. Secrets. She had complained to Jake and Embry that they weren't telling her stuff and she was treating her father exactly the same way. Not her secrets to tell, she told herself. She played with Josh's fingers and hoped he would change the topic.

"He's aged pretty well."

She wasn't sure this topic was any safer, but agreed, "Yes, I couldn't guess his age."

"Being good looking only got him into more trouble," Charlie commented.

"He told me he got approached when he was young to do photography."

Charlie snorted. "Porn?"

"No, although that was what he thought it would be, too."

"Wouldn't have worried him."

Josh had told her that trouble found him. Bella imagined Josh was a lot like Paul before the imprint had collared him.

"So what has he been doing all these years?" Charlie asked.

"I honestly don't know."

They sat there in silence for a minute, before Charlie said, "Right," and smacked his hands on his thighs. "You'll be here when I get back?"

"Yes," she promised.

"Okay, Bells."

She was very pleased to hear her father's usual version of her name. "Love you, Dad."

"Yeah… right… um… me too." He escaped.

She was so tired; emotionally drained by everything. She sat and stared at Josh, resisting the urge to embrace him. And then she thought that was crazy.

Perhaps she should have been talking to Charlie more, but she wasn't ready for that discussion. She really wasn't. They had made a start. Plus, she and Charlie were so alike in their need to avoid emotional confrontations. Neither of them were any good with that stuff. It wore her out, and years of avoiding it; in _any_ form had not given her a better ability to handle emotions. The opposite, in fact.

She hadn't even had what people would term a relationship since... well, since Edward. Maybe being back here drew her thoughts to the past; her memories were definitely location centric.

And talking to Josh about how close she had come to making a terrible mistake. Getting married at eighteen. And flirting with becoming a vampire. She sighed. What had she been thinking? She didn't even know now.

She could hear voices in the other room. God knows how long it had been since Rebecca had been home. More than five years. As far as she knew, she had left just after her mother had been killed in the car accident. Couldn't cope with it all.

Rebecca had run away to Hawaii. Had met and fallen madly in love with a Hawaiian surfer. She had a vague memory of Jake telling her that. It had sounded so exotic at the time. Tinged with the whispered yearnings of escape. At least that's how Jake had said it. It was a dream denied to him then, and denied even more to him now.

Once he had turned wolf, escape was no longer an option.

It was a trap for the pack; bound to the reservation. If their parents didn't know about the pack, they might be pleased that their kids were staying around. She hadn't asked, but from the way Jake had talked about the pack, all the members were still here. And now Rachel had phased. Had they even mentioned that to Rebecca? Probably not, if she was coming back to bury her father.

She yawned again. So tired.

"Shove over," she said to Josh.

He didn't, of course, but she clambered onto the bed, kicked her shoes off and lay down next to him. After listening to the hum of voices in the back ground, she picked his arm up and snuggled under it, pressing her face in against his chest.

He was breathing slowly, but steadily and the rhythm of it was comforting to her.

She chuckled. "I haven't spent this much time with a guy in years, you know?"

She put her palm flat on his chest, lifted her knee and put her leg on top of his, closed her eyes, breathed out deeply and quietly fell asleep.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7 - I'll be home for Christmas**

_Disclaimer: the characters and all recognisable situations belong to Stephenie Meyer - this is a work of fan fiction, except for the legends and histories of the Quileute that, of course, belong to them. I pay my respects to their gods._

* * *

><p>Old Quil came back with Embry. He took one look at Josh and Bella asleep together on the bed and ordered everyone to stay out of the room. He leaned over and pulled a dream catcher from in between the bed and the wall. It must have been shifted out of the way by Jake when he was leaning against the headboard. He rubbed it between finger and thumb, studying the sleeping couple. He grunted to himself.<p>

"Fetch a cedar sprig, now," he ordered Embry.

And then he pulled out a small handful of sage leaves and lit them, waving the smoke around the room and over the couple as he sang softly. When Embry got back, he waited until Old Quil's wrinkled hand was held out. He placed the cedar on his palm and backed out before he could be dismissed.

Old Quil tied the cedar to the dream-catcher, brushed his fingertips still heavy with the resin of the tree, across both their foreheads, left the room and shut the door firmly behind him.

"No-one enters. No one disturbs them," he ordered Embry. "You guard." Embry opened his mouth to argue. "You guard," the old man repeated.

* * *

><p>Bella fell into a dream world. The familiar forest. The one between the mountains and the sea. It was the same world she had been dreaming of for a while now, she recognized it. She walked towards the sea. She knew that was the direction she should go.<p>

Josh had told her that where the sea met the land was the place of change and it felt like the right place to be; things were changing. As she stepped carefully through the undergrowth she could see a figure looking towards the water. He was standing where the tiny waves broke over his bare feet. Her heart leapt and she started to run towards him.

"Josh!" She went to say 'you're okay' and then she realized her error. This wasn't the real world; of course he was okay, here. He turned as he heard her coming.

"Izzy," he called back.

"Josh, what are you doing in my dream?" she asked, as she hurried to him and he hurried to her.

He hugged her. Oddly, he felt real and substantial. "Your dream? I thought this was my dream." He chuckled. "You know what that makes you?"

She rolled her eyes. "Oh puleez. Don't say it."

"I knew you in the bar," he whispered, "You _are_ the girl of my dreams."

She was secretly impressed by that. "You did?"

"Yeah. You looked a little different at the bar. It took me a while to recognize you."

"Different?"

"Thinner, more tired. Less happy."

"I was happy in your dreams?"

"Yes."

"How different did I look?"

He gave her a wicked smile.

"Oh, for heaven's sake… tell me I was not all pregnant or something."

He didn't answer her but the grin got wider.

She smacked him with the back of her hand. "You have enough sons," she told him.

"Yeah? Well, maybe I want some daughters."

"You are freaking me out talking about pregnancy when I have known you for days."

He kissed her and didn't say anything to that.

"How did you know it was your child?" she pressed.

"I knew."

"And what, exactly did we do in your dreams?"

He just did the double eyebrow raise.

"Oh." She chuckled.

She thought about it. Now his behavior in the bar and afterward in his apartment made sense. He hadn't needed to tumble her into bed immediately, if he knew they were going to get there. "So we did it in the dreams, or you just knew we'd get around to it."

"Both." He hugged her again. "Do you wanna do it now?"

"I'm so glad to see that you are okay, I could jump your bones, but part of me also knows that you are unconscious and have been for a while. How you just slept through all the screaming and shouting, I do not know."

"Screaming?"

"Sam brought his mother over."

"Allison," he said.

"She screamed, mostly about you and then Charlie and Jake shouted."

"Ah. Sorry."

"It's not your fault, but I worry about you not waking up and I suspect that you have hurt yourself trying to help Billy. I know you just wanted to save him, especially after you heard he was the last of his friends, but you over did it."

"I'm okay," he insisted. "And it did help him. Didn't it?"

"It did. He is awake and he can move his feet."

"Ha!" said Josh triumphantly.

She frowned at him. "I still worry… you have to understand Billy has been wheelchair bound for years."

"I know."

"And Jake is freaking out."

"Oh, Izzy. I think when I wake up part of the mystery will be solved. And seeing you here in my dream confirms to me that you are meant to be here."

"But? I can hear the 'but'."

"I'm not ready to wake up, yet."

She frowned at him. "I hate sitting round watching you and watching everyone else get more confused."

"So stop watching; get out of La Push. Not forever," he hastened to add. "Just for a few hours." He pulled her in closer and nuzzled at her neck. "Drive up to Seattle, pack your things and give notice at the bar."

"Why?"

"Because you know your future is here, in La Push."

"No, I don't," she argued. "I don't know any of that."

He gave her a look. "Izzy," he chided. "You know what _your_ dreams are telling you. You were dreaming of wolves."

"I know."

"You just don't want to listen to them right now."

She sighed heavily. "It's always been this area hasn't it?"

"Yes, it has. I believe that you are meant to be here."

"And I tried so very hard to run away," she said in a tiny voice.

"I know." He kissed her gently. "Me too." He held her in against him. "I've been running longer than you, too. It's a hard habit to break."

"Will you be here with me?" she asked.

"Of course." He adjusted his hold on her and held her tighter.

She could feel him, hard and eager, pressing against her. "When did we get naked?" she asked.

He chuckled. "It's my dream and I want you naked. So…" He shrugged.

"You trying to convince me to stay?"

"No, silly. I just told you to go." He kissed her again. "But I know you'll be back."

"Back for you?"

"Of course." He kissed her neck. "And," he added, "being with you makes me feel better."

"So I am helping you?"

"Just touching you helps me. Being with you, kissing you." He kissed her on the lips. "Please, Izzy. We need to be together."

"Need?" she checked.

"Oh, yes," he breathed at her.

"I should tell you all about the wolves and the pack," she suggested.

"No, later. I am not spending my dream time with you on anything other than you."

She grinned at him. "You are smooth."

He laughed.

She added, "We will have time to talk later? Everything seems so rushed."

He looked very serious. "I am certain that this time together is very important. We need this."

She touched his cheek and then brushed over his lips.

He leaned in for a kiss.

She closed her eyes, let go of her worries and kissed him back. Here in their dream, maybe time ran differently? Maybe they had all the time in the world? She did feel like something was rushing at them and that moments like this would be rare in the coming days. She didn't know why she felt that. Her hands brushed down his back and cupped his buttocks. "You have the best ass."

He chuckled. "Hold that thought."

He stepped back from her and closed his eyes.

She frowned at him, puzzled.

The stony beach under their feet transformed into fine white sand.

Josh waved his hand and a stick appeared in it. He pulled her over away from the water. "Stand here."

She watched him as he drew a large circle in the sand with her at the center of it. Then he made a second, smaller circle just inside the first. He dusted his hands off and smiled at her.

"What are you doing?" she asked. "Besides flashing your ass at me."

"Wheels and circles are really important. They are a traditional part of our heritage. And drums," he added. "But it's pretty hard to make love to you and drum at the same time." He gave her a rascally grin.

She laughed.

He embraced her from behind as she studied the barrier he had drawn around them. They turned around slowly, until they faced the way they had started. There were no breaks in the circle.

"What do they mean?" she asked. "I know it must mean something."

"Concentric circles are symbols of power; they contain spells and forces, they symbolize greatness, charisma and leadership."

"Like bubbles."

"If you like."

"Two circles?"

"One larger, one smaller."

"One fits inside the other," she noted.

"Yes, it does." He kissed her shoulder, working his way along to her neck. His hands were cupping her breasts.

Him fitting inside her sounded like a spectacularly good idea. She shifted against him, twisting her body so that he let her go. "I want to see you," she mumbled.

He looked down at her.

They stared at each other and then something just snapped. They crashed together. His arm locked around her neck so that her head rested against his elbow and he pulled her up tight against him and he kissed her hard. His other hand wound low around her back and held her tight in against his groin. Her hands pressed against the muscles of his back. He bent her backwards and she arched up into him. Her eyes closed. He felt so good.

And she let it all go. The worry, the stress, the tiredness all gone in the wave that was Josh. His tongue in her mouth, his hands all over her and her hands grabbing at him. Her feet were lifted off the ground. He was reaching between her legs and then he paused for a second.

"Izzy?" he asked in a thready whisper.

"Need you," she gasped out. "Inside me."

"Yes," he agreed.

She reached down to stroke him, wrapping her hand around him and guiding him to where she wanted him. They both looked down and watched him enter her. He pushed and worked his way into her and when he was in all the way they both made a noise; a grunt of pleasure. He pulled back and worked his way into her again. Each stroke she was getting wetter, easing his passage as he thrust up into her. She threw her head back and cried out. And then she was falling. She expected her back to hit the ground but it didn't happen.

If it had been normal sex, she could have felt the bed under her, or the sand, but here it was as if she was both on and in, the world's biggest water bed… no softer. Like clouds. He laid her down and clambered over her body, slotting easily back into place. She was lying on her back with the back of her thighs resting on top of his. Looking up at him as he was looking down, his tongue touching his top lip as he concentrated on pleasuring her.

He looked amazing; the muscles of his stomach working as he rocked into her. She reached out a hand towards him and he grabbed it in his, right hands meeting in a monkey grip; their thumbs together. She grabbed his wrist with the other hand. His free hand held her thigh hard enough to leave bruises.

Holding her hand he yanked her down onto him as he lifted his hips up.

She moaned. "Ohhh… yes."

"Like that?" he asked her.

He held her hard and rocked into her and she could push back at him but she also felt each thrust moving through her and sending out waves, like ripples in a pond. She turned her head and it seemed to her that she could see the ripples. And those ripples struck the edge of the circle he had drawn around them and then reflected back. She felt them come rolling back across their joined bodies. Each set of waves built and built on top of the earlier ones and each wave carried pleasure and ecstasy in a flood across them both.

It was mind blowing.

It also meant they both orgasmed much faster and far more intensely than she had ever felt before. She shuddered and jolted under him, gasping for breath.

He stayed buried inside her. Released her hand and shifted her body, lying down next to her. His hand lifted and stroked down her side from her shoulder to her hip and then underneath her. He tucked her in against him, tighter. She was so much shorter than him that her face was pressed against his chest.

He breathed her name at her. And then he said something she didn't expect. "I love you, Izzy."

She was silent for a few seconds. "I can't love you," she finally said.

"Why not?" He didn't sound upset, just intrigued.

"It's so sudden. I've known you for days."

"I feel like I've known you forever." He cradled her face in his hands and he kissed her forehead, each of her eyelids, the tip of her nose and then finally her lips. He tasted divine. Like all the best things in life. "Izzy. Listen to your heart."

She closed her eyes and tried to do that, weird as it sounded. She certainly had some feelings for him. She could feel his hands against her skin.

They had just been as close as two people could be and she wanted to do it again, as often as possible. She wanted to find out everything about him. He had invaded all her senses and brought her to his dreams. She was the girl of his dreams.

"Hmmm?" he asked, when she didn't answer him.

Could she imagine being without him? No.

"I love you," she confessed.

He kissed her.

When she eventually opened her eyes, he appeared to be glowing.

"Hello," she said to him.

He grinned. "There you are," he said as if he had just discovered her after a long sea voyage.

"Here I am."

He took her hand and held it out at arm's length. She was glowing as well.

"What is happening?" she asked.

"You're mine."

"I am?"

"Yes. The gods insist."

"Oh. Wow." She looked at their arms. "I think I understand. Is this what an imprint looks like from the inside?"

He laughed. "Yes, I suppose it is."

"Why didn't this happen before?"

"It's something about you. I was trying and I couldn't get through. Not until you let me in."

She tried to think about it. Asleep, she was at her most vulnerable. Defenseless. Had she been trying to keep him out? "Wait a second… imprint? Then that makes you a—"

"Wolf," he interrupted.

"Not yet, you're not."

"No, I haven't phased yet. But I will."

"More wolves," she muttered.

"More?"

"Jake said they think younger people are getting ready to phase. His sister has done it recently as well."

"Another female? Like Leah."

"She's a Black."

"Ephraim's line."

"Josh. This vision stuff scares me."

"I know, but it is time you stopped being scared."

"I feel … less afraid when I am with you." She knew that was true, the second she said it.

"So we strengthen each other. You make me less afraid, too. You make me more determined to fix things."

"There are so many things we both need to fix."

"Sam," he said.

"Allison," she added.

He gave her a look.

"She came over to the house as soon as she knew you were here. I reckon you might be glad you were unconscious for that. She's clearly got things to say to you."

He made a pained face, but it faded quickly. "I did her wrong."

"I hurt Jake, as well. How awful to tell someone you loved them and then leave them. He literally had half the bones in his body broken and I walked out and left him. Embry said he still hadn't forgiven me, but Jake and I had a good talk. That's a start, right?"

"We fix things," Josh repeated.

"Fix everything," Bella echoed. "How can we do that?"

"If we do things together, we will be irresistible."

She opened her mouth. "I'm already-" But he clapped his hand over it. "Don't say it," he warned with a chuckle.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8 - I'll be home for Christmas**

_Disclaimer: the characters and all recognisable situations belong to Stephenie Meyer - this is a work of fan fiction, except for the legends and histories of the Quileute that, of course, belong to them. I pay my respects to their gods._

* * *

><p>Embry had his fingers in his ears. He didn't know what the hell those two were doing in there, but he knew what it sounded like <em>and<em> what it smelt like. Even if they were still asleep. Weird shit. He was getting very tired of weird shit. The rez had been full of it for weeks.

He half wished Quil was here to make some joke and lighten the situation, but he had gone over to the Makah reservation at Neah Bay to visit his imprint, Claire. With all the strangeness, Quil had needed to check on her and make sure she was okay. A phone call was not enough to keep a nervous wolf happy. No one could talk him out of it, and Jake wasn't willing to alpha order him to stay.

He could hear Rachel and Rebecca arguing, too. He really didn't like the sound of that. Rebecca had just arrived from the airport and they were already fighting.

And then he heard a noise inside the bedroom he was guarding.

"Someone's awake," he said to himself.

* * *

><p>Bella and Josh still had their arms around each other. Their hands kept up a constant movement, brushing gently over each other's skin. He stroked his thumb along her ribs.<p>

"You need to wake up," he reminded her.

"I don't want to. I want to stay here, with you."

"I know."

She sighed. "Do you think we can do that again?"

"Now?" he sounded a little worried.

She laughed. "You up for it, old man?"

"Actually, I could be… I am feeling better all the time."

"No, I meant was that just about the imprint or do you think we can always have … what do I call it?"

"Dream sex?" he tried.

"Yeah."

"I sure hope so, it was awesome."

She grinned at him. "It really was." She looked around them, the circle was still intact. "How do we break the circle?"

"We can do it together if you like."

"I like. And you need to dream up some clothes." She waved a hand at him. "You are way too distracting naked."

"You too." He kissed her. "Go to Seattle and come back as soon as you can. I'm sure I will be awake then. I'll call you as soon as I wake up, okay?"

"Okay. Why do I need to go, again?"

"Seriously. I'm not sure. Just go."

"Right," she said sceptically.

"Are you doubting my instincts?" he teased her.

"Oh, no."

Dressed and standing now, they held hands and still smiling at each other, reached out their other hand to break the circle.

As soon as it was broken, Bella woke up.

* * *

><p>She blinked for a few seconds; disoriented.<p>

Josh lay, still sleeping, next to her. She was plastered even closer to him than she was when she fell asleep. They were holding hands. Part of her wished to just stay here with him, even not sharing his dream, just being here to make sure he was okay. But she knew that was her hiding. And she couldn't do that. She told him he made her braver, but she didn't feel it right now. She kissed him on the lips and then sat up, stretched and started to look for her shoes.

When she opened the door Embry was hovering just outside it.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Why are you-"

"Old Quil ordered me to stay and to make sure that no one disturbed you."

"You've been here the whole time?" She had no idea what dream sex sounded like on the outside, but she was fairly sure a wolf could hear it.

"Yeah." He elbowed her and grinned.

"Oh." She blushed furiously. "I need to… ah… go…"

"Wash your face?" suggested Embry wickedly.

"Sure." She could hear raised voices coming from the kitchen. "What is happening?"

"Rebecca is not happy."

"Seriously? What's her problem?"

Embry rolled his eyes, but didn't answer. "Can I go, now?"

Bella blinked. "I suppose. Should you check with Old Quil?"

And then Bella heard a voice she did recognize. Leah Clearwater. That was why Embry wanted to leave.

"Go, Embry."

She walked into the kitchen just in time to hear a woman she didn't recognize, but who looked a lot like Jake's sister Rachel, say, "He's not dying! He doesn't even look like he's dying. Honestly Jake, did you waste my time as well as my money?"

Bella just walked over and slapped her across the face.

There was silence for a beat.

Bella was horrified. She had never behaved like this before, but she was so angry. She had seen Billy and she knew how upset Jake had been.

Jake was frozen and looking at her with wide eyes.

Paul snorted.

"What are you _doing_, Bella?" Rachel demanded.

"What does this have to do with you? Whoever you are?" Rebecca asked. Her hand up against her reddening cheek.

"I'm one of Jake's best friends," Bella said.

"This is bullshit!" Rebecca said.

"Do you want Bella to smack you again?" Paul asked.

"He _was_ dying," Jake said.

"Why aren't you defending her?" Rachel attacked Paul.

"Because she's being a bitch," said Leah.

Paul glanced at her as if he was surprised she was defending him.

Rachel put her arm around her twin and glared at Leah.

"Oh, come on Rach," Leah pleaded. "You understand."

"Is this the first time you've been back since your mother died?" Bella asked.

Nobody answered her. They didn't need to. She knew she was right.

"This has nothing to do with you," Rebecca said, still confused as to who this woman even was.

"Oh please… You left your little brother to nurse his father. You have no idea what that did to him. You were both selfish and ignorant. Rachel is back but you can't give Jake back his childhood. He never got to be a normal teen. Can you even imagine what it was like for him to live here alone and to be so young and to look after his father _all by himself_. Cook, clean, give him his medication, help him out of bed every morning. It has made him the man he is. But look at him. It was too much, too young and neither of you cared." She pointed at the twins.

Paul looked astonished.

Leah looked impressed.

Jake looked embarrassed.

"Paul," Rachel said. "Make her stop!"

"Why? She's right. I was _here_. You weren't."

"What? I'm your imp-"

"Don't play that card, Rach," Paul warned her. "This has nothing to do with that."

"I don't understand," Rebecca wailed.

"Everyone in this room is a shape changer; a wolf. Like the tribal legends," Bella said. "Except for me and **you**."

Deathly silence.

"A-all of you?" Rebecca asked. She glanced manically around at them all. As if they were going to attack _her_.

Embry stepped behind Leah. She did look like she might attack something and he'd be fast enough to grab her before she did.

"Look, Becca, I'm sorry it had to be like this-" Jake started.

"No!" she shook her head. "It's not real."

"Yes, it is," Leah growled. It was low enough to almost be a real growl.

Rebecca was looking at her in revulsion.

Embry put a hand on Leah's arm, and she leaned back into him.

Jake held his hands out to his sister. "Dad was dying. He really _was_. This has something to do with more wolves phasing. You know the legends."

"Oh my god! Is that why you got me back here?" Rebecca asked. "Y-you w-want me to be one?" She sounded utterly horrified by the prospect.

"Oh dear, like us?" Paul snarked. "Don't worry Becca, your bags are still in the car."

"Stop it!" Rachel said. "I don't want her to be a wolf. If she goes now, she'll be okay, right?" she pleaded.

"She's not leaving," Paul argued. "If Jake says you stay, then you stay. He's the pack leader."

"Pack?" Rebecca repeated.

"You can't go either, Rachel," Leah pointed out quietly. "This is a life sentence."

"She doesn't-" And then Paul saw his imprint's face. "Fuck!" He looked shattered. "You'd leave?" he asked in a whisper. "You'd leave _me_?"

"If you stay, you **will** become one," Bella said. "So make your decision now."

"No! That can't be right," pleaded Rachel, torn between her twin and her imprint.

Paul shook his head. "Rachel, you know she's talking sense. She's your twin and _you_ phase."

"No. You're insane"

Paul snorted derisively. He turned his back and he walked out of the kitchen.

"Paul?" Rachel wailed.

"This isn't real," Rebecca said.

"Yes, it is," Bella insisted. "I know I'm right about you phasing. Billy said that the Quileute just know - the wolf gods know when the tribe is in trouble. The gods won't care that you have a husband and kids in Hawaii. Did they care that Leah was in love with Sam? Go! **Go now**. Or stay and fight for your tribe. But you won't fight human. You'll fight as a wolf like everyone here. And given this is the first time you've bothered to come back since your mother died-"

"Hey!" Rachel interrupted. "Back off, bitch."

Jake looked resigned. "Bella, stop. She can go if she wants. Rachel stays."

Rachel looked trapped.

Rebecca seemed to suddenly understand what they were all saying. She shrugged out from under Rachel's arm, as if she was diseased and she could catch it by touching her.

Rachel's face fell. This was her twin. "I'll drive you back to the airport," she said in flat voice.

"That might be for the best," said a deep voice from the doorway. Billy had got himself into his wheelchair and made his way down the hallway. He looked at his daughter as if he didn't know her.

"I'm sorry," Rebecca whispered. "I just…c-can't. I just can't become a w-wolf."

"What like me?" Rachel asked, hurt.

Rebecca didn't answer her.

"Screw you, Bekka. Frightened you'll break a nail?" Leah hissed at her.

"Just go," Billy said.

She ran. Bella thought she almost scuttled away. Rachel ran after her.

Bella hugged Jake.

"Thanks for trying, Bells," he said to her.

"I'm so sorry, Jake. It's too much for her."

"I know." He hugged her harder.

Embry rubbed his hand down Leah's upper arm. "I think we need more female wolves. They fight mean." He poked Leah. "Leah?"

And then he noticed who she was staring at.

She and Billy had locked eyes.

"Oh, fuck, no," said Jake. "NO!"


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9 - I'll be home for Christmas**

_Disclaimer: the characters and all recognisable situations belong to Stephenie Meyer - this is a work of fan fiction, except for the legends and histories of the Quileute that, of course, belong to them. I pay my respects to their gods._

* * *

><p>"Leah?" Embry asked again.<p>

She turned around to look at his face and she looked lost. Her hands reached out to touch him. "Em?" she checked. "I'm…" And then she just stopped, blinked quickly and shook her head.

Embry clenched his fists, glared at Billy and looked like he wanted to punch something, but then he glanced down at the clearly distraught woman in front of him. His face went from angry to resigned. "It's not your fault," he whispered to her. "It's not anyone's fault."

"B-But-" Leah started.

"It's okay." He hugged her. "We knew it might happen sometime."

"I don't deserve you," she muttered into his chest.

No one else seemed game to move until they saw how Leah was going to react.

Bella was hoping that Embry didn't add this to the list of things he thought was wrong with him. Leah hadn't ever imprinted on him - nor he on anyone else.

"Was that…?" Billy gasped out.

Jake nodded. "An imprint? Yeah."

"Oh." Billy held his hands in front of his body. They were shaking a little.

Bella felt like crying. She had been pleased over an imprint with Josh, but Leah had been with someone else and she'd known Billy all her life. This was going to be very hard on everyone. Oh, my God. Sue was going to flip out. Imprinting had done Leah so much damage before.

"Guess that means you are going to join the pack," Jake said to his father.

"I guess." Billy still didn't look like he was handling this well. He glanced at Leah but her face was still buried in Embry's chest.

"Billy? Are you all right?" Bella asked.

He looked nonplussed. "I f-feel… kind of tired," he said.

"I'll help you get back to bed," Jake said. "And then, I think we need a pack meeting. Sam's place. Thirty minutes. Just the basic pack," he added. He looked at Embry and Leah. "Can you guys find Paul?"

Bella suspected Jake had just given them some time together.

Embry nodded. "Quil should be back soon, too."

They all went off to do things, leaving Bella standing alone in the kitchen. She sat down on a kitchen chair and rubbed her face. Jake was back in just over a minute. He stood at the sink with his back against the counter.

"Jake, I don't know what came over me with the twins. It wasn't my fight."

"I think it kind of _is_, now. It all seems to have something to do with you coming back, but thanks for sticking up for me." He gave her a look. "Only Rachel left and you will have punched all the Blacks."

"At least I didn't break my hand this time. I attacked Paul that time, too." She gave a nervous laugh. "Will they be okay?" she asked.

"Who?"

"Yeah. Pick one."

He sighed. He listened for a second. "Dad is asleep. Josh is still out, too."

"Paul can pick a fight with his imprint?" She had the idea that imprints were perfect and never argued.

"Paul can pick a fight with anyone."

"True." She looked at him. "I feel so sorry for Embry and Leah."

"Yeah."

"Are you upset that Billy did it before you?"

Jake frowned as he thought about it. "No… I suppose in one way, he has less time; he's older. Right? And she's the alpha female. It makes a kind of twisted sense in a wolf way."

"Right." She was thinking of Josh. How much time did he have? How much time did they all have?

She didn't know where all the stuff about fighting as a wolf had come from; some part of her knew that was why they needed all the wolves. There was a war coming for the tribe and she started to have an idea that she knew who they would be fighting against. She'd have to think about it before she told anyone and a trip to Seattle would give her some time. Josh had seemed intent on her making the trip as well, and she trusted his instincts.

She also wanted him to be awake and with her when she told everyone her theory of what was happening.

She stood and started looking for her bag.

"What are you doing, Bella?"

"I'm going to borrow Josh's car and drive back to Seattle."

Jake's dark eyes looked serious. "Why?"

"You'll think I'm nuts."

"What I am most concerned about, right now, is you driving anywhere alone."

"Oh." She hadn't thought about that. She sighed. "Josh told me to."

"He did? When? He's still unconscious."

"In a dream."

"You shared a dream?"

"Oh, don't look at me like that. I know it sounds completely nutty."

"Given everything that has happened today, that is just one more thing on the list. But you aren't a wolf. Wolves can share minds, but how can he dream with you, like he did with Dad?"

"I don't know. But he told me I needed to go back, give my notice at the bar, collect my last pay check and pick up some stuff for him from his apartment because I was going to be here for a while."

"He told you all that in a dream?"

"Yeah."

"And you believed him?"

She looked blank. "Why wouldn't I? I think he's right. He even told me where his keys were and what he needs. Whatever the heck is happening, it's pretty clear to me that I was brought here for some reason and that I need to stay here and help."

"So that's why you are _leaving_." Jake tilted his head.

"Seriously, Jake. It's just to get some clothes and stuff. I'll come right back. And I _will_ be coming back, because he's here."

"I think you are helping."

"I'm sorry about Rebecca."

"It was too much too soon for her. She chose her new family. I get why she'd want to leave but-"

"She could have been a little nicer about it."

"Yeah." He eyed her off. "So you work in a bar?"

"Yes. The one where I met Josh."

"What else did you two do in the dream?" he asked.

"Oh, nothing much…" And then she blushed.

Jake stifled a smile. "Ookay then."

"Stop it."

He held his hands up. "Hey, if you want to have dream sex or whatever you were doing."

"How did you know it was sex?" she hissed at him.

He laughed. "I thought I heard something and now I _know_ it was and you get this weird look on your face when you are embarrassed."

"I do not."

"You do. Any time it comes up about you and him being physical, you get this look-"

"What look?"

"It's kind of cute. As if you think you are being naughty."

"For fucks sake, Jake. I'm not sixteen."

"No and he _definitely_ isn't so why are you behaving like that?"

"What?"

"I just observe; I don't make you behave that way."

"Oh right… Mister…" And then she stopped. She didn't have a rejoinder.

He laughed at her. "God, I missed you, Bella." And then he hugged her. "I date," he added. "It's been five years, you know."

"Oh, I am sure you are just beating them off with a stick, the way you look," she complained.

He laughed. "Jealous much?"

"I will hurt you," she threatened.

"How? Look at you; you're a marshmallow."

She stamped her foot.

Jake bit his lip as if he was going to say something and stopped himself.

"Pity Embry," she said. "Old Quil made him guard the door."

"Right. I did wonder what he was doing. Sitting there with his fingers in his ears."

"Whatever! I am taking Josh's car and I am driving to Seattle."

"Fine," said Jake.

"Fine!" said Bella.

"And I'm coming with you," he added.

"You are?"

"We can both go, right after a quick pack meeting. I am not letting you out of my sight," he looked around the room, "And I need a break too."

Bella rather thought that he might. Up until today he thought his father was dying and it had been a pretty horrible day for him all round. Maybe it was a good idea that he went with her?

"Okay."

"Come on; let's get over to Sam's."

* * *

><p>The pack meeting was to be held in the yard at Sam's place, away from the invalids at the Black house. Jake and Sam stood with their heads together; talking quietly.<p>

Emily came out of the house, clearly pregnant, and looked pleased to see Bella. "Hello again, girl who runs with vampires."

Bella laughed. "Oh, these days I am all about the wolves."

Jake gave her an odd look.

She elbowed him. "Jake will say 'It's about time.' Right?"

The look turned into a smile.

Emily glowed with good health and happiness.

"You look great, Emily." She couldn't resist putting her hand on Emily's rounded stomach before she snatched it away. "Oh, sorry."

"Don't worry about it. Everybody does that."

"Did I hear you say Bella?" she heard.

"SETH!"

She squealed and bounced across to be scooped up. Seth had filled out in the last few years and looked even more like Jake.

Brady had seen her before, at least, Jake had said that it was Brady that told him she was back. He waved at her nervously. Collin next to him had grown a lot as well. Jared nodded at her.

The pack, with an easy familiarity, all threw themselves down on the grass in Sam's yard.

Bella noticed that Embry and Leah were next to each other but not touching. Paul had his arms folded and looked stormy. Rachel was still absent.

Jake filled the pack in on the recent happenings. "Brady saw a familiar face on patrol. He didn't know how familiar though. He recognized Bella," He waved at her with a hand. "But he didn't know the man with her; Joshua Uley."

"Wait… what?" Seth said.

"They are together," Jake added.

Seth gave her a look.

Bella poked her tongue out at him.

Quil wandered in at that moment and Jake had to start again.

"Dude! If Bella's back, that means there are vampires to kill," Quil said.

"No there isn't, Quil; we've looked. There aren't any," Sam insisted.

Quil looked so disappointed.

"Lucas, Mom's little brother showed up yesterday, too," Seth said. "Seems like it's the season for unexpected returns."

"And other weird stuff," Leah ground out.

The pack looked at her.

She sighed but then said, "I imprinted-"

The pack were all pleased for her and started to say things like, "That's great-" or "awesome."

"-On Billy Black," she finished.

Deathly silence.

"H-How?" Sam asked. "You've seen him a million times."

"Dad is healing and he might be going to phase. At least if an imprint means anything."

"But he's _old_," said Brady with horror.

"Old enough to be my father," Leah growled.

Seth looked utterly devastated. He and Leah locked eyes.

"Was it both ways?" Jared asked. "We know a new wolf tends to imprint just after they phase and you're not a new wolf."

"Both ways," she bit out.

Jake spoke, "It seems as if the rules we thought applied to phasing and imprints might no longer apply."

Quil coughed. "Yeah… about that…"

"Quil? Was Claire okay?" Embry asked him, looking concerned for his friend.

"She was fine… but she…" Quil made a shrug with his enormous shoulders. "She said she hates me. She said that none of her girlfriends had friends as big and as _old_ as me. That I was a boy, and that she hates stinky booger boys."

"Whoa," said Seth.

"She's eight now," said Sam with some understanding. "What did her parents say?"

"They were... happy, I suppose," Quil said. "I'm not sure they ever really understood it."

"You okay, Quil?" asked Jared.

"Nah, it's okay. I mean I was upset at the time. I tried to tell her that I could come back another day; I know Claire better than anybody, but she just told me that I didn't need to _**ever**_ visit her again. And-" He looked very serious. "I f-felt it break. It was just… gone."

"No imprint?" Collin asked.

Quil shook his head.

The imprinted wolves were especially quiet.

"So they can be broken?" Leah asked, hopefully.

"Maybe they can," said Jake.

Bella knew this was the bedrock on which a lot of their relationships were based. She looked at Jared. He looked very pale.

"Guys, it's okay," Quil said. "On the way home, I drove past a car with a flat tire and I stopped to help her change it." He looked joyous. "And I got laid!"

Paul barked out a laugh. "Jesus, Quil."

"She's gorgeous and I don't know why I never wanted to get laid before. But it was awesome. And I mean, look at me I'M AWESOME. Look at this body. Why have I never noticed all these beautiful women before?"

"Tell me you put a cover on it," Leah said.

"She had condoms," said Quil.

"It's about time, Quil," said Paul. He reached over to shake his hand.

Jake was just shaking his head.

Sam looked shell-shocked.

"Who was she?" asked Embry.

"Oh man, her name is Candie with an 'ie' and she's really sweet. Ha ha get it? And she's got big boobs and long red nails, and she didn't want to break one changing the tire. And her hair is really blond, what do you call it? Platinum? And she says I can call her anytime-"

Bella feared that she knew exactly what Candie with an 'ie' looked like.

"Yeah. Okay, Quil. Enough," said Jake.

"Tell me later," Embry whispered to his friend.

"Can I show you?" Quil asked. "You know… wolf mind?"

"Sure. If you want to."

Bella decided that the wolf pack was seriously weird with its shared mind thing, but that Embry was the nicest guy in the world and needed to have Leah back somehow.

"Will Quil get another imprint?" Brady asked. "An adult one this time?"

"Who knows? _All_ the rules seem to be changing," Sam answered.

"Maybe she'll be old," said Collin with a pointed glance at Leah who rolled her eyes.

"Whatever," said Jake. "Bella and I are heading up to Seattle. We will be away for a few hours. Keep up patrols. We'll be back before you know it."

Everyone got to their feet and headed off in different directions.

Seth hung back. "You'll be back?" Seth asked her.

"I promise." She patted Seth's hand.

His jaw was working but he said nothing.

"Seth? What's the matter?"

"Billy?" he said in anguish. "It's not right; he's too old and she's been hurt so many times before. It's not fair. She and Embry were good together. And this has done damage to Embry in the pack as well. He was with the alpha female before. And now he's not. You know?"

Bella glanced at Jake for confirmation and he nodded.

She hadn't thought about the pack spin on relationships. Another negative for Embry.

"Why does this keep happening?" Seth asked.

Bella couldn't answer him.

"Shit. Sorry. If you are with an older man these days. Sam's dad?"

"I didn't know he was Sam's dad when I met him!"

He gave an odd laugh. "Just like before, huh? Older guys?"

"Yes. Edward was even older." She wanted Seth to understand but she wasn't ready to tell him it was an imprint with Josh, too. Even if it hadn't started out that way. "I chose older men deliberately."

"Why?"

"Less complications. They didn't seem to want permanency or a relationship and that suited me."

"At the time," Seth accused. "This one already seems complicated."

She didn't say anything to that; she couldn't.

Jake lifted an eyebrow.

"But Josh _is_ different," she conceded. "What about you, Seth?" she asked quickly, before anyone could ask _how_ he was different.

"Nah. I'm okay on my own. Free spirit," he said.

"Right."

"We need to get going," Jake suggested. "It'll take three and half to four hours."

"We'll talk more when I get back, Seth."

"Okay. And it's fantastic to see you." He hugged her.

Bella was starting to think that she had been hugged more today than ever before. Way more than in the last five years certainly.

"Can I drive?" Jake asked. "What kind of car does Josh have? I didn't notice before."

"No idea."

He laughed. "You never were any good with cars, Bells."


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

_Disclaimer: the characters and all recognisable situations belong to Stephenie Meyer - this is a work of fan fiction, except for the legends and histories of the Quileute that, of course, belong to them. I pay my respects to their gods._

* * *

><p>Charlie had gone home to get changed and then Sue had come back from the Black place. She told him Bella was asleep, so he didn't need to rush back. He was a bit worried about Sue, as well. She was very stressed, and too anxious and he knew that she hadn't been sleeping well or feeling well for a few days, but in her usual way, she was putting everyone else ahead of herself. She had taken over Harry's position on the tribal council and was privy to all the goings on, some of which she couldn't tell Charlie about. Trouble was, things started to happen so quickly that she was dealing with too much.<p>

She had finally told Charlie about the wolf pack, when they were discussing him moving in. It wasn't fair otherwise. Charlie got the impression that she had left a lot out of the story. She just said that the attacks on the hikers that he had been investigating had been done by vampires, and that was why the wolf pack had come back and why they were needed.

Charlie had known Sue for a very long time. Being more than a friend was fantastic and he didn't want to ruin that. He hadn't dated for years and he loved being with Sue and being part of her family, so he let it go. He had a tendency to do that with people he loved and he loved Sue Clearwater.

Charlie Swan, the Chief of Police could harass a suspect until they confessed, but he knew he had let Bella get away with a lot of things when she lived with him. He remembered Bella telling him about seeing the giant wolves, and his struggle to believe her. He assumed that she hadn't known the tribal secret at the time, or later, as far as he knew. But then the years of difficulty in contacting her had happened; her hiding meant that she knew something. Was it something else? Something different?

Charlie couldn't begin to guess what it was.

They hadn't had a chance, with all the kerfuffle, to tell the Blacks that Sue's brother Lucas had come home. He had shown up the night before and they had all stayed up late talking around the kitchen table. Lucas said he had been dreaming of La Push and that he eventually just _had_ to come back. He was still single and had been on the road for years.

Sue was pleased to see him, but confessed to Charlie in bed later that night, that it worried her. Lucas was in his late thirties and had sworn that he was never coming back to the rez.

"People change," Charlie tried.

"No, you don't understand. Lucas keeps his promises."

And then all the rest of Sue's worries had just poured out. They hadn't got much sleep. So when Bella showed up in the morning, Charlie was not surprised.

But right now, Sue needed him, too. She kept going over all her worries again as if saying it would help somehow.

Charlie wasn't good at talking but he was great at listening, and he just let her go. Bella was asleep and he could wait.

He was just about to head out, when the phone rang. It was Seth to tell them Bella was heading off to Seattle with Jake for a few hours. She had promised to come back and she was with Jake, so Charlie thought he could bet on her return.

Charlie frowned at Sue. She did not look good.

And then whatever Seth said next, sent Sue from stressed and worried into a rage.

She slammed the phone down. Something she always hated the kids doing. With two super strong werewolves in the house, they had a lot of accidental breakages.

"Billy Black!" she roared.

"What?"

"Leah imprinted on Billy Black and he on her."

"I don't understand."

"An imprint! When the wolves mate."

"I know _that_ … but Billy?" Charlie was confused. Billy wasn't a wolf. He was too old.

"I know and WORSE…" She started to stride back and forth; winding herself up and getting angrier and angrier. "That means he's a wolf. That's why he was healing. That's why the diabetes is gone. How can he be a wolf? What the Hell is happening? And it's not fair. Not fair on Leah. She only gets one imprint and it's BILLY?"

"He's the chief," said Charlie, desperately searching for some good in this mess.

"She won't care! She won't fight it now; she's tired of fighting imprints. It's Sam all over again! And that was horrible."

"It was?"

"We had to lie to her. Harry and I knew what Sam was and why he dumped her and we had to lie to her. We couldn't tell her the truth. I LIED to my own daughter!"

"Sue… calm down."

She ignored him. "And she was good with Embry. He's such a sweet boy. Why couldn't it be Embry?"

She looked like she was having a fit to Charlie. Or a heart attack. Her face was suffused with color, her hands shook, she moved with agitated, jerking movements.

"Sue, calm down!" A little more forceful this time.

"DON'T TELL ME TO CALM DOWN!"

Charlie retreated. Sue was seriously scaring him, now. He stepped back into the living room, away from her. Gave her some space.

She followed him, still swearing about Leah and Billy.

And then she got the oddest look on her face. She stopped.

"Sue?" He stepped towards her; terrified she was really having a heart attack. He couldn't lose her, too.

"Get away from me," she ground out through gritted teeth.

"What? No. I want to help you."

"NO! Run, Charlie, RUN!"

"What?"

"**RUN!**" she screamed it at him.

He backed away because he didn't know what else to do.

Then there was an enormous tearing noise. She just seemed to explode.

"SUE!" Charlie nearly had a heart attack himself.

He fell backwards on the floor, as the space where Sue had been standing was now full of torn cloth, and shattered pieces of the couch she had been standing near. Stuffing and upholstery floated in the air… and… He blinked. Fur?

.

.

.

A massive wolf stood there. It shook its head in confusion. It had to be almost as tall as he was if he was standing. It sniffed the air.

"Sue?" he asked incredulously.

She saw him.

He pushed himself up to his knees, getting ready to try and stand up or run or whatever he was going to do. He couldn't think; he still hadn't decided what he should be doing. He had been told about a wolf pack, but this? Seeing it was something else. And in the living room?

And it was just staring at him.

Was it going to attack him? He had been told that the wolves were protectors, he thought. And Bella had seen a pack of five. Jesus.

He tried to stand, but the animal moved quickly and almost pounced on him. Her head swung and knocked him over. Her tail took out the standing lamp with a crash.

It took him a second to realize that it was meant to be affectionate; like a giant dog. She had just miscalculated.

"Let me up," he begged.

She licked his face and shoved her snout in against his neck; pushing him back down on the floor and licking at him.

"Ewww."

The door flung open. Seth had obviously run from wherever he had been. He surveyed the damage; the wrecked sofa, the rain of debris, the shattered lamp and the shocked face of Charlie Swan.

And the giant wolf.

"Mom?" he asked the wolf. "Is that you?"

She wagged her tail.

"Ah…yeah… I think so," said Charlie.

"Fuck! We had to replace that sofa when Leah phased."

The wolf yipped at him.

"Oh, sorry, Mom." Seth looked at the way she was snuffling over Charlie's body. "Oh, hey, I reckon she imprinted on you, Charlie."

"What?" He sounded a little shocked.

The wolf whined.

"Oh, sorry, Honey. I meant to say that's great." Charlie patted the giant wolf nervously on the head. "How do we get her back?" he asked Seth in a whisper.

"She can hear you," Seth whispered back.

Charlie's eyes narrowed at Seth. _"You_ caused this."

"I did?"

"She flipped out about Leah."

"Oh… right. Sorry, Mom." Seth scratched her behind the ears. "It probably would have happened anyway, you know?"

Charlie sighed. "I think you might be right. More wolves, huh?"

They looked at each other and both said, "Lucas!"

* * *

><p>Bella and Jake were already in the car and on the way to Seattle. Bella called ahead to the bar to tell them she was on the way. Jake had turned his phone off.<p>

Bella raised an eyebrow as he did it.

"Whatever disaster strikes in the next few hours, they can deal with it without me. I am checking out."

"Fair enough." No one at La Push knew Bella's number except Josh; so she was safe. "You're sure there will be a disaster?"

"I reckon. Stands to reason."

Bella kept driving.

"I'm starving," Jake announced, when he got within smelling distance of a fast food place.

"Actually, I haven't eaten for hours either."

They had to stop at another two places before Jake was full.

Bella noticed the admiring glances that Jake received from women of all ages and more than a few guys. He seemed blissfully unaware, as if he dealt with it all the time.

They kept off the topic of the supernatural by unspoken consent. It was probably a great time to discuss it, but they both wanted to pretend to be normal; just for a few hours.

Jake wanted to drive and Bella let him. She settled down into the passenger seat and fell asleep. She fell straight into another dream world with Josh. He still looked at her like she was a sunrise. She smiled at him. "Hey, you," she said. "I'm on my way to Seattle as ordered. Jake's driving. You feeling better?"

"Izzy," he breathed at her. "I feel better just looking at you."

She beamed at him. "This is neat! Better than a phone call."

"Or Skype."

"Yeah. It comes in sense-o-round, too," she said as she stroked her hand down his arm. "What have you been doing?"

"Meditating, resting, and getting my strength back."

"Good. Did you want something?"

"Yes, I forgot to tell you to bring an old leather duffel bag. It's in the top of my wardrobe. It's got some Native stuff in it. Don't open it, just bring it."

"Duffel bag. Got it." She kissed him quickly. "Anything else?"

"Just this," and he kissed her again, deeply. Holding her hard against his body. "You want another go round?" he whispered to her seductively.

"I'm in the car with Jake you know."

"I _know_."

"Are you teasing him?"

"No." He looked mischievous. "But I have to go now."

"You need to wake up."

"Yes. I will see you when you get back."

"For real?"

"Yes."

* * *

><p>From Jake's point of view:<p>

Bella shifted in her seat. She made a small noise that sounded like a sigh. He glanced at her. She was sound asleep. He could tell from her heart rate and breathing.

"Duffel bag," she said very clearly.

Jake grinned. She must talk in her sleep, although why she was dreaming about duffel bags, he could not imagine.

"Jake," she muttered.

He looked surprised. He patted her with one hand. "Dreaming of me, huh?"


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

_Disclaimer: the characters and all recognisable situations belong to Stephenie Meyer - this is a work of fan fiction, except for the legends and histories of the Quileute that, of course, belong to them. I pay my respects to their gods._

* * *

><p>Bella took over the driving as they got close to Seattle. She knew all the back roads and short cuts and how to get into the lane that led to the back access to the bar. This wasn't Jake's country, it was hers. She walked into the bar and inhaled. It felt likes years had passed since she had left, rather than mere days. The string of dusty Christmas decorations and the lopsided tree on the end of the bar looked more hopeful now, than pathetic as she had remembered them.<p>

The barmaid told her, the boss, Dave, was in his office out the back. She left Jake parked on a bar stool.

She knocked and waited for his curt command to enter. Dave had his feet up on the desk, crossed at the ankles and was frowning at a printout. He had run this bar for a long time. He wore his standard work uniform of white t-shirt and black jeans. He glanced up at her as she entered the room.

"Izzy. You aren't due back until Tuesday night."

"I know."

"You needed your pay now?"

"If you wouldn't mind."

He nodded and gave her a look. "And?" he hinted.

She grinned. He did know her well. "And I've kind of got a bit of a crisis."

"Permanent or temporary?"

"I think it's permanent. Family," she added, as if that would explain everything.

"Didn't think you had one."

She hadn't worked there long but she had always taken every shift and public holiday the other workers didn't want.

"Not much of a one anymore. But I make up for it with an extended family." She thought that was the easiest way to explain the pack; as extended family.

"Right." He stood and opened the safe to get out her salary.

"I'm sorry to let you down. Especially at New Year's when it will be busy."

Dave shrugged. "Someone else will claim that night; it's prime overtime."

"Huge tips, too. Dammit."

"You did warn me you might have to leave in a hurry, one day, but I thought we might have longer than this."

"It's a good bar, Dave and the people are nice. You'll be fine."

"Thank you for the vote of confidence. It's not like I've been running a bar-"

"-for years, I know." She hugged him impulsively. "Thanks for all your help Dave. I do hope to see you again."

He gave her a look, unnerved by her hug. Izzy wasn't into public displays of affection. "Now that just sounds vaguely scary."

"Yeah. I suppose it does." And she refused to say any more.

"Did you want that bag you left with me? It's in the locker here."

"Oh, yes, please." In case she wasn't able to return to her home, she had always had a bag packed with clothes and cash. She usually left it at her workplace. It was part of her planning. She was always ready to run.

"Call me if things change," he said as he handed over her bag.

"I will. Thanks again."

When she walked back out of the office, Dave followed her out. Jake was still perched on a bar stool, nursing a soda and making eyes at the barmaid. She was leaning across the bar and making sure that she had his full attention and that he had a great view of her cleavage.

"Dave, this is my friend Jake."

Jake stood and stretched to his enormous height. He held out a gigantic hand to Dave who tentatively shook it. "Hey."

Dave nodded at him and looked him over. "Pacific Northwest, huh?"

Bella was shaking her head behind Dave and Jake knew not to tell him too much information. "Around there."

"So you have a long drive home. You'd better get started." He backed away. Bella knew he didn't like emotional stuff. "I have things to do," he said.

"Thanks, again Dave. And Happy New Year."

"You too, Izzy." He turned and walked up the small corridor to his office.

She patted Jake. "Finish your soda, we need to get going."

"Don't we have to get to Josh's house, too?"

"It's just around the corner. We can walk from here."

"Bella?" she heard.

A very tall woman had been standing near the door. She rushed over now.

"Angela?" Bella was astonished. It had to be, she was the only woman over six feet tall that she knew. "What are you doing here?"

"I was looking for you."

"But… how did you?" Bella had been going to say that nobody knew she worked here. She frowned at Jake and he made a face.

"I'm a journalist," Angela laughed. "I can find people; it's my job." She turned to look at Jake quizzically.

"You remember Jacob Black," Bella prompted. "Jake, this is Angela Weber from Forks high school."

"I do remember you," Angela said. "You used to pick her up on your motorcycle at school. You were just a boy then." She kept talking as she looked up at his face. "And may I say how refreshing it is to not look down on a man."

Jake was just staring at her. Not blinking, not doing anything except just looking at her.

Bella inhaled sharply.

Jake's hand reached out and took Angela's in his. He still hadn't blinked. Angela glanced at Bella quickly, but her attention snapped back to the silent man still holding her hand.

They stood there until the silence became awkward. An annoyed huff noise from the barmaid indicated how she felt about being comprehensively ignored.

Angela tried to pull her hand back, but Jake wouldn't let go of it. And he still hadn't said a word.

"Are you okay?" Bella asked him quietly.

He shook his head very slowly without taking his eyes from Angela's. "I had almost given up hope of ever finding you," he said in a low voice. He sounded as if he had seen a miracle.

"Finding… _me_?" Angela asked.

"Jake," Bella hissed at him. "Snap out of it."

"No, he's not doing anything wrong," Angela said. She smiled at him carefully. "I'm just not sure why he is holding my hand." She sounded surprised herself. Maybe that she was still _letting_ him hold her hand.

Bella patted him on the arm. "Jake, we need to go."

That didn't work.

"Angela," she tried. "Can you give me your details and I will call you later or message you or whatever. We are kind of in a rush today."

"No," said Jake. "She's coming with us."

"Don't be silly, she's probably got things to do."

"No… she's coming with us," he insisted.

"Okay," said Angela.

"What?" said Bella.

"I know this is really weird but I…" She stopped and looked up at Jake's face again. "I don't want to let you leave without me."

He smiled at her. It was his thousand watt smile. It was blinding.

"Gah," said Bella.

Angela blinked rapidly under the smile onslaught.

"Angela," he said and then stopped as if he had forgotten what he was going to say after her name.

"Jacob?" Angela said.

"Oh, for fuck's sake," said Bella. She tugged at Angela's arm, trying to get her to walk towards the door. She lowered her voice conspiratorially, "Look, I think I know what has happened and it kind of happened to me this week, too."

"It did?" Jake asked her. He let go of Angela's hand to turn on Bella.

"Oh, _**now**_ you snap out of it!"

"Who was it?"

"Josh, of course."

"When? He's unconscious! Was that in a dream, too?"

"I am NOT talking about this now."

"And how, unless he is going to ph-"

"Jake!" she interrupted before he talked about wolves phasing in the middle of the bar.

"Oh, right." He shook his head as if he was trying to clear it. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because it is none of your business."

"It IS my business… it's my p-"

Bella was making odd head and eye movements at him, trying to tell him Angela didn't know about the wolves, yet.

Angela was glancing between them as they argued like an old married couple.

He stopped talking again. "Man, I have screwed this up big time. I'm sorry Angela." He turned to face her and reached for both her hands. He held them in his and got distracted again the second he looked in her eyes.

Angela glanced sideways at Bella. "There's an explanation? Really? Because I don't usually have this effect on men."

"Oh, yes. There's an explanation. But I think it would be much better if we did it at Josh's flat."

"Who's Josh?" Angela asked.

"He's the guy who looks at _me_ like that."

"That's not actually an explanation," Angela chided.

"I know. It's all you are going to get right now. I think if you go, he'll follow you."

"Gosh. I surely hope so."

"Go?" Jake said. He clearly only heard one word in Bella's sentence.

"Yes," she raised her voice as if he was slightly deaf, "We're going now."

"Why are you shouting at me?"

"Get out the door, now Jake!"

* * *

><p><strong>meanwhile back at the rez:<strong>

Charlie and Seth managed to convince wolf Sue to go hide in the forest until they worked out what was happening or she worked out how to phase back. After they had sneaked her out the back door and hoped that no one saw her. At least, not someone who was still ignorant of the wolf secret. Given the circumstances of the last few days, that was becoming fewer people on the rez all the time.

Seth brought out some clothes for her and put them just inside the tree line.

"You aren't going to … what do I call it? Go play like a wolf?" Charlie asked him.

"Phase?"

"Yeah. You could go show her how it all works."

Seth got the oddest look on his face. "Ah… No. I thought I might go with you to check that Lucas is okay as a human… not a wolf… definitely not a wolf… I'll be human to do that… yep… human."

Charlie tilted his head._ "Seth,_" he warned.

"Oh, come on, Charlie! It's the shared mind thing-"

"The what?"

"No offense but there is absolutely no way I want to share my mind with my MOTHER. My sister is bad enough… but if she even sees half the stuff I have done. Heck, Charlie, she just yipped at me for saying fuck! And if she sees even one thing in my mind I will be grounded for life-"

"Wait. What?"

"Shared mind. The pack can't talk when we are phased, so we transfer thoughts. ALL the thoughts ALL the time. And when you try not to think about stuff you have to think about it to _not_ think about it. Just think about that for a second.

"Ah… yeah… okay, I can see your point… I think."

"I mean I was fifteen but I looked twenty-five."

"I don't want to know the actual details." Charlie held up his hand. "How does it work?"

"We don't think all the same things; it's not like a hive mind but we can communicate by thoughts… pass scent messages… visual trails… there's so much stuff that we don't even have the words for that we can see or smell in wolf form… You know?"

"Ah… no."

"Oh, right. Well, a scent trail smells different if it was left by a male or a female, and it's different again if they are young or old and the trail is an hour old or a week old."

Charlie put his arm around Seth's shoulder. "Tell me on the way to check on Lucas."

Seth babbled away happily, momentarily forgetting about his mother phasing as he tried to find the words to explain the unexplainable to Charlie.

Lucas had wanted some privacy and had checked into one of the holiday cabins. Christmas was off season and a little too cold for tourists.

Seth's head lifted. "I just heard a yip. I think it was Mom. Something is wrong."

They walked faster.

"Maybe we should have driven," said Charlie.

The cabin was deserted; the door wide open. Seth tracked the path Lucas had taken across the ground and into the trees. It wasn't long before they found some tattered clothing. The trail led further into the forest.

"He's what is it … phased, too," said Charlie.

"Yep. That means he and Mom can talk to each other. She might be able to tell him some info. Calm him down. It's pretty weird when it first happens."

"How did you and Leah cope?"

"Not well… Leah was freaking out." Seth looked really serious and then he said quietly, "That's when Dad had the heart attack."

"Shit." Charlie hadn't known that.

"They were arguing and she just…" He bit his lip. "She thought she'd killed him. She was screaming in my head and then Sam tried to talk to her and that almost made it worse." He shrugged. "You know… that it was _Sam_."

"No wonder your mother was upset about the Billy imprint."

"Yeah."

Seth started punching phone buttons. "Dammit. Jake has turned his off."

"Why did he go, _now_?"

"We can't have known this was going to happen… and he's with Bells, he'll be back."

"I know-"

"SHIT!" Seth said. "What if it's ALL the pack parents?"

"Oh, my God. That would be disastrous."

"Josh?"

"Or Billy?"

"Who else? Mom's gone, so that leaves," Seth started to count on his fingers; "Josh is Sam's dad. Can't be Quil - no Dad alive. Embry? Who knows? Jared, Paul, Collin and Brady. And Billy, of course."

Is it both parents, or just one?"

"Depends on who carried the wolf gene. Mum is a Black _and_ a Uley. Dad is an Ateara, so they both would have phased."

"Wolf gene?" Charlie asked.

"Later. We have to call Sam."

"We have to warn people."

"Yeah… we don't want another Emily."

"Is that what happened?"

"Oops. Yeah. Sam phased too close to her."

"Too much kept too quiet for my liking." Charlie shook his head. "Sue screamed at me to run."

"She would have. She would have realized she was standing in exactly the same spot that Leah was when she phased."

"Call Sam. Billy has sisters! There's four of them."

"One is Collin's mom."

"So she'll be a definite. We have some calls to make. I'll call Billy."


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

_Disclaimer: the characters and all recognisable situations belong to Stephenie Meyer - this is a work of fan fiction, except for the legends and histories of the Quileute that, of course, belong to them. I pay my respects to their gods._

* * *

><p>Charlie and Seth were about to leave when they remembered that Lucas would need some clothing too. The tattered clothes indicated that he had phased on the fly, as Seth called it.<p>

"I'll just grab something from the house." He darted inside while Charlie rang Sam.

"Parents phasing," Charlie said when Sam answered. "Jake's away."

"Shit. Who?"

"Sue and her younger brother so far."

"Wow."

"Seth won't phase; muttered something about parental brain."

Silence.

"Sam?"

"Crap. I'm not sure any of us have thought about that. Good point."

"I'll call Billy, too. You call some others."

"Thanks, Charlie, I'm on it."

Charlie huffed out a breath and started dialing. This was what he did for a living; co-ordinated a crisis. Next call.

"Billy? Sue phased."

"You're okay?"

"Yeah… shocked. She whatevered on me."

"Right. Good."

"And her brother went, too."

"Lucas is here?"

"Forgot to tell you, sorry. Called Sam already."

"Thanks. Lucas said he was never coming back."

"Why?" It seemed important to Charlie, Sue had mentioned that as well, and Charlie wanted to know why. Was there going to be a problem with someone?

"Ah," said Billy. "I'm not sure that I can say."

"But you know?" Charlie pressed.

He heard a noise behind him and turned around to look at Seth. He was waiting for Charlie to finish on the phone.

"Don't worry," Charlie said. "I think I know why he left." He took another breath. "Seth thinks it might be all of the pack parents phasing. We need to warn people."

"That makes perfect sense. I don't know why we hadn't thought of it before. Tell him, thanks."

"Will do. Later." Charlie hung up. He studied Seth. He was nineteen now but still a rez boy. He was holding a bright pink polo shirt; cerise Renee would have called it, and the shortest pair of shorts he had ever seen.

"Find some other trousers. He doesn't have some jeans or a pair of workout pants?"

"I'll look."

Charlie followed him into the cabin. Seth had Lucas' bags open and was rifling through them.

"Hey, what's this?" Seth asked. Seth was holding it up with a quizzical look on his face.

Now that was the icing on the gay cake. "Butt plug," said Charlie. Two words he had not actually thought about ever saying in the hearing of his almost stepson.

"Aiihhh," squealed Seth and dropped it on the floor. "I need to wash my hands."

Charlie picked it up and tossed it back into the open bag. "I think Uncle Lucas might be gay." He pointed at the bag. "Put all this stuff back."

Seth picked up and thrust items into the bag.

"Why couldn't you smell it?" Charlie asked him. "I thought wolves had good senses of smell."

"Oh, we do. But everything in here is really scented, or perfumed," Seth said picking up several bottles of facial cleanser, toner and moisturizer.

"Ah. So a good sense of smell can get drowned?"

"Yeah, but not for long. It was just too much, too quickly for me to sort it all out. Whoa," said Seth with an intrigued look on his face. "Who do you think he'll imprint on?"

"Seth! We don't have time for this." Although, he had to admit, it was a good question.

Seth's head lifted as they heard a howl. "That sounded like Mom… oh, man. If she has seen it in his head she'll take a piece out of him."

"What? Sue's not like that."

"She's a new wolf, Charlie. She won't be upset that he's gay; but that he never told her about it! She won't like that and I am _sure_ she didn't know."

"And he's just thought of it, as you so eloquently tried to explain?"

"Right."

They both stepped towards the door.

"Oh, man!" said Seth as he went. "The dirty laundry from all you old people on the rez, it's all going to get spilled tonight."

"That's when people get shot," Charlie commented sagely.

"Or bitten," Seth added. "Got their own weapons, now."

"Get calling or phase!" Charlie ordered him.

* * *

><p><strong>Meanwhile back in Seattle<strong>

Jake fought over carrying Angela's bag out to the car. Bella rolled her eyes. She had remembered that Josh's apartment had a parking garage underneath and it would be easier to drive there. The access key for it was on the car fob chain. Driving seemed faster and happy as she was for Jake, this all felt like more of the business of the tribal gods to her. It was great that Jake had imprinted but _now_?

Angela's father was, or used to be, the Minister in Forks. Christmas was a time for families. What was Angela even doing looking for her at this time of the year? And Angela just happened to be tracking her down and looking for Bella in Seattle. Jake just happened to decide to come with her. And they all just happened to be in that bar at that same time? And in this week, of all weeks?

What were the odds of that?

It was a fluke.

And Josh had told her to be there. She was going to talk to him when she got back to the La Push.

She glanced at them as she drove. They were both in the back seat, where they couldn't be separated. And they were holding hands, but not talking.

Time seemed to be rushing again.

She parked in the space reserved for Josh's unit.

She called the lift. "Josh usually walks up the stairs but it's the third floor."

"Why?" Angela asked.

"I don't know. Maybe he doesn't trust it. It looks old." She was guessing, she just knew that he didn't use it out of habit.

"It looks like a cage," said Jake. "Maybe that's why he doesn't like it."

When they got inside the apartment, Jake looked around.

"This is nice," he said suspiciously.

She looked, too. It was. She had sat here with him for a day. They had kept the world out. It had been their calm before the storm.

"It's lovely," said Angela as she wandered over to the windows. "Is it his?"

"He may be renting. I don't know. I've known him for three days."

"Wow."

"That's him when he was younger." She indicated the framed sepia shot she had noticed.

Angela made an admiring face at her.

"He's just… beautiful," Bella finished.

"And he looks at you like that… you know."

"Yes."

Jake was leaning in the doorway watching Angela talk rather than listening to her.

Bella chuckled. "What if she's talking to you?"

"I'd hear my name," he said.

"Right… how much do we tell her?"

"Everything?"

"Now?"

"I'm not lying."

"You don't have to lie-"

"Guys," Angela interrupted. "It sounds like a drug deal." She faced Jake. "Just tell me."

Bella laughed nervously. "Maybe it is drugs. I know mine is addictive."

Angela raised her eyebrows.

"I meant, and I am only telling you this because you're you, that I virtually told Josh I couldn't live without him."

"In a dream?"

"You heard that?"

A nod.

"Yes. And I've known him for days."

Angela stared at the floor for a beat.

"Jake, you talk to her, I'll pack, and then we can go."

He nodded. "Duffel bag," he said.

"Oh, right. I mustn't forget that. Wait a second. You didn't hear that!"

"You said it in your sleep in the car, along with my name." He looked smug.

Bella rubbed her face. "Ah… I wasn't dreaming of you, if that's what you were thinking. That was Josh, he was offering to seduce me and I was reminding him that you were in the car."

"Sneaky bugger."

"What?" Angela asked. "How?"

"Her guy is asleep."

"And he talks to her… in her sleep?" Angela checked.

"Yeah." Bella waved a hand at the couches. "Look, you two sit, talk and work it out. Whatever is left - ask me later."

She could hear the low murmur of Jake's voice and an occasional question from Angela. When she came out to find a stepladder to look in the top of the wardrobe, she took a peek at them. Angela looked nervous but determined.

Crap. The Cullens. Vampires. Angela would freak. She was at high school with them, and never knew.

The Cullens. Good point. Should she try to contact them about all this? And say what? Not that she even knew how to contact them. She'd been studiously avoiding them for five years. Maybe Billy had contact details as part of the treaty, or something.

When she came out with a bag and the duffel to dump them in the entrance, Angela was sitting in Jake's lap. He was holding her hair at the end of his fingers as if he was inhaling it or scenting it and whispering to her in low, soothing tones.

It looked to Bella as if Angela needed a drink. Pity; no alcohol in the ex-drinker's apartment.

"I can't offer you a drink," she called out to Angela, "But I can make a pot of tea."

"Tea, please," Jake called back.

She gave them some more privacy while she made it.

Angela was back at the windows, when she carried the mugs in. Her back looked tight and her arms were folded across her chest. Jake twitched nervously.

Bella looked a question at him.

"The Cullens," he said.

"Yeah. Come and drink your tea, Ang."

She turned. "Vampires?" she asked. "Really?"

"Yes."

"I've seen some stuff in my work, but-" She choked off the rest of that sentence.

Jake looked like he'd explode.

"Let Jake hold you," Bella suggested.

"He's so warm," she said in a smaller voice.

"Not like vampires at all. They're cold."

"You'd know-"

"Shit. Does Josh know about Edward?"

"No! He doesn't know he was a vampire, just that I was engaged and I will tell him the rest… when I get a chance."

Jake gave her a look.

"Seriously. There has been so much else going on." She patted the couch. "Sit, Ang."

"How did we not know?" she asked as she sat. "We knew they were different, we all knew that, but we were blind. Now I can ask why on earth adopted siblings all had those same odd colored eyes, but back then? It never occurred to me to wonder."

"It could be their gifts," Bella suggested.

"Or their wealth," said Angela. "You allow people all kinds of odd behavior when they are wealthy; it's eccentric. If they were poor, they'd just be-"

"Freaks," said Jake.

"-weird," said Angela.

"I was going to say odd," said Bella.

Jake wrapped himself around Angela and she snuggled into him.

"They don't sleep? Ugh. I love my sleep."

"I like her more all the time," Jake said.

"Did you get to… ?" Bella asked pointedly without saying imprinting.

"Almost."

Angela looked nervous. She drank her tea and glanced at them over the rim.

"The stare," Jake explained.

"Oh, yes. What was that?"

"Imprinting," Jake said.

"Like baby ducks?"

"No… like one and only true love." He was playing with her hair again.

"With the wolf, not the prince."

"I _am_ the prince."

Bella snorted into her tea.

Jake tried again. "It's like true love. You are my one and only, my perfect match, my true love, my life partner."

"Wow." Angela cleared her throat. "What if I want to say 'no'."

Bella noticed the look on Jake's face.

Angela suddenly clutched at him. "I d-don't, really I don't," she said hurriedly. "It's just a lot to take in."

There it was. That was what was so hard to resist with an imprint. Breaking their heart. No wonder Emily couldn't do it. And she was the first, too. Poor Leah.

"Um," said Angela and bit at her lip. "Can I just talk to Bella for a minute?"

"Sure. I'll take the bags down to the car."

The girls watched him go.

"Are you all right?" Bella asked her.

"There's so much to take in."

"I know."

"It's not real."

"I know it feels that way, but it's real."

"The love?"

She thought of Emily's rounded stomach and their other kids. "It's real, too."

"It's happened before? This imprinting."

"Yes. Several times."

"Okay." She looked like she was thinking.

"He _is_ their prince," Bella said. "He's the chief elect and the leader of the wolf pack."

"The son of the chief?" She frowned. "I should have known that, I just forgot. But what worries me is that he loved _you_," Angela reminded her.

"Yes, he did. But it's been five years and he told me today, I think it was today… that I was important to the wolves. He didn't recognize that when he was younger. But he felt a need to care for me, so his need to care was, I suppose, misinterpreted as love?"

"You don't sound sure."

"I'm not and the thing with imprints is that it seems to be all encompassing."

"There isn't room for old loves."

"No, no there isn't." She thought of Leah and Sam again, and worried about Leah and Embry. "So he loved me a long time ago and you are sweet to even remember that."

"And Josh is like this?"

"He's older, for a start. And he seems to have some magic."

"Magic now, too?"

"I know, right?"

"Thus the sleep communication."

Bella nodded.

"Ooo-kay," Angela said. She smacked her palms on her thighs. "Let's get going."

The girls cleaned mugs and tidied up, ready to go again.

Jake knocked on the door to be let back in.

"You had the keys," Angela said to him when she opened it.

He shrugged.

She looked at him. "Did you run up the stairs?"

He nodded.

Bella looked their way. They were still standing in the open doorway. She was about to say something, when she saw Angela lean into him and tilt her face up. She kissed him. Bella hoped it was their first kiss, with a sense that Angela had really made a decision to accept him and the oddity of his life.

Jake's hands lifted and pressed against her back and then they just wound around her, holding her closer and closer to his chest.

Bella snuck away.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13 - I'll be home for Christmas**

_Disclaimer: the characters and all recognisable situations belong to Stephenie Meyer - this is a work of fan fiction, except for the legends and histories of the Quileute that, of course, belong to them. I pay my respects to their gods._

* * *

><p>After Sam hung up the phone, he told Emily everything that Charlie had told him.<p>

"I think Josh is the key," she said.

"You think?"

"He steps onto the rez and things start happening."

"They were happening before."

"Not at this pace, they weren't."

"We need to wake him up," said Sam.

"Yes, we do. I think we need him."

Sam grumbled at that but he couldn't fault her logic. "How do we wake him?"

"I'm thinking."

Sam trusted Emily and she often helped him think things through that concerned the pack.

"Let's see," she muttered. "La Push, land, wolves, packs, families, blood… blood!"

"We bleed him?"

"No." He got a look for that answer. "This is all about bloodlines. Only the families are phasing, right?"

"Right."

"Take Nate over."

"Nate? Our son."

"Josh's grandson. Take him over and tell him to wake his grandfather up. Or something."

"It can't hurt." He shrugged.

"It'll work," she insisted.

He kissed Emily, patted her stomach and went to wake his son up. Probably wasn't asleep yet, anyway, the little rascal. But he was, curled up in his racing car bed.

Sam studied him for a minute. Maybe Emily was right.

Bloodlines.

He scooped him up into his arms.

"Dadda?" a tiny voice asked.

"Let's go out for a little while, Nate." He wound a blanket around him and headed over to the Black's.

Billy was up but still using his wheelchair. He already looked ten years younger. Sam thought he wasn't actually younger, just looked it. Not being ill or dying made a huge difference.

"How are the feet?"

"Still hurting, but I can feel it healing."

"Yeah. I know what you mean. Healed a few things super-fast. It itches."

He paused.

"I heard about Rebecca. I'm sorry."

"Best thing."

"I suppose."

"Emily had an idea to try and wake Josh up." He lifted Nate in his arms.

"Okay."

They went into the bedroom.

Sam sat Nate up a little. He was awake but drowsy. "Nate, this is my father."

"Dadda?"

"Yes. So he is your grandfather. I know we said you didn't have one."

"Gran'father?" he checked.

Sam sat him down on Josh's chest.

"Shhh… sleeping," the little boy said with his finger to his lips.

"No, it's okay. Wake him up, Nate."

"Gran'father sleeping," he insisted loudly.

Sam rolled his eyes. This kid was perverse. But they left him where he was.

They waited with bated breath.

Nate sat and turned his attention back to the man asleep under him. He studied him. Then he leaned forward and poked a finger up his nose.

Sam smiled. He knew how it felt to be woken up like that. Some mornings after patrol when he was too tired to even hear him approach, Nate could sneak up on him.

When that didn't work, Nate looked in his ears. "Wake up Gran'father!" he shouted.

He held his hands up in resignation. "Doesn't work, Dadda," he said and stood up to be picked up again.

He stood on Josh's groin.

"Oh, Jesus." Josh groaned. "Right in the balls."

"Huh," said Billy. "That worked."

Sam smiled. "That's exactly what Mom wanted to do to you hours ago."

"Gran'father?" Nate asked Josh.

"Good job, Nate. He's awake now." Sam held him down to kiss Josh. He planted a big smacking kiss on him. "Mwah."

"Hello." Josh pulled himself up to reclining. "Who's this?"

"This is my son, Nathan."

Josh looked at Sam. "How old is he?"

"He's three."

Billy handed Josh a bottle of water. "We'll give you a minute," he suggested.

When they left the room, Josh called Izzy.

Billy asked to talk to Jake, too.

* * *

><p>When Josh came out they were all at the kitchen table again.<p>

Nate insisted on sitting on his lap.

Josh kept touching him, brushing his hair and smelling him.

"A son." He looked at Sam with wonder.

"And a daughter and another on the way."

"Wow. I had no idea."

Nate yawned hugely.

"We don't have time, now," Sam said. "I'll take him home. Emily will have a trial trying to get him back to sleep."

"Thanks, Sam. I'm very glad to meet him. He's beautiful. Please thank Emily for me."

Sam nodded. "She said you were the key. You stepped on the rez and it all started happening."

"Good point. And Izzy."

"Bella Swan," Billy repeated and shook his head.

"I just talked to her. They were at my apartment but are on their way back."

Nate waved sleepily to his grandfather who waved back.

Josh and Billy sat for a minute.

"I suppose I should say welcome back," Billy said.

"You, too."

"I was dying."

"I know."

"Strangest thing, Billy. I feel like taking all my clothes off and going for a run in the forest."

"Not your skin?"

"Maybe that, too."

"Well," Billy jigged his head outside, "Go. I'll join you soon." He lifted his feet. "See?"

"That chair is a habit," Josh accused.

"Maybe… give me some time."

"It's great to see you looking better."

"I really thought my time was done."

Josh nodded. "Not yet." He twitched as if his bones were moving under his skin.

"Go," Billy said. "I know that look."

A grin.

"Go on," Billy encouraged.

Josh bounded towards the back door.

* * *

><p>Bella snuck away from Jake and Angela and then her phone rang. There was only one person who had her number. "Josh?"<p>

"Izzy." His voice sounded hoarse and scratchy as if the first thing he had done after waking up was phone her.

"Are you okay?"

"Getting there."

"We are at your apartment. We were just about to leave for La Push."

"Good. Put Jake on, will you? Billy wants to talk to him. His phone's off."

"Hang on… Jake?"

He appeared in the doorway.

She passed him the phone and went to check on Angela. She looked a little breathless and disheveled. "Josh is awake."

Angela was watching Jake. "It's not good news, is it?"

"I don't know. He'll tell us." She tucked a piece of her friend's hair back behind her ear.

Angela blushed. "Yeah… sorry… That was…"

"Intense?" Bella finished for her.

"Yes. Wow."

"Wait for the rest."

"Oh, Lord."

"Okay, Dad. Give us four to five hours. We'll come back tonight."

He looked the question at Bella.

She nodded. She wanted to see Josh.

He handed the phone back to Bella. Angela slipped under his arm and put her arms around him.

"Izzy, you drive safely," Josh said.

"I will. This feels like the longest day… ever."

He chuckled. "Yes, it has been." She heard him swallow. "I'll rent a cabin for us. Okay?"

"Perfect."

"Just come. My dream girl."

"Ah…" She didn't know what to say. She didn't want to be sappy with Jake there.

Jake was grinning at her. He knew.

"Ignore Jake," Josh said.

"Sorry, I…"

"It's okay. I'll see you soon." He cut the phone off.

She glared at Jake.

"Things have been happening." He filled them in.

"Let's get on the road as soon as we can," Jake said.

"What about your place?" Angela asked.

"I have enough stuff in the bag Dave gave me. I'll get by."

"What about you, Angela?" Jake looked invested in her response.

"I'm coming with you. I was just going to rent a car to drive to Forks. So I'm ready and as packed as I ever get."

Jake's face bloomed. "Excellent." He looked at Bella. "Can I drive? If I just sit in a car I am going to break something."

"Sure."

Bella sat in the backseat and let Angela and Jake be together.

Angela still looked a little shell shocked. She kept touching Jake and she spent the whole trip half-turned in her seat so that she could watch him. Bella was willing to bet that she never once looked out the window. Bella kind of knew how she felt. She was desperate to see her wolf, too.

* * *

><p><strong>Meanwhile.<strong>

A man broke the door to Izzy's apartment. He stood there looking around with eyes that catalogued everything they saw; red eyes. He lifted a mug and picked up the coaster underneath it. 'Dave's bar' it helpfully said.

* * *

><p><strong>Meanwhile back at the rez.<strong>

"Just phase, Seth!" Charlie ordered. "Before she hurts him."

"He's not fighting back, is he?"

"**Now!"**

"Eep." Seth started undressing and handing his clothes to Charlie.

"I am never going to get used to this," Charlie muttered under his breath.

Seth transformed into a wolf. Now there were three in the small forest clearing. One was cowering under a log, being harried by gray furred wolf. His flank was bleeding.

The sandy wolf phased back to a man who stood there with his hands held over his groin. "I can't talk to her. She's not my pack. And I don't want to bite her… she's my Mom!"

"Well, that's good news and bad," Charlie said. "Whose pack is she?"

"I don't know."

"Billy?"

"Josh?"

"What do we do?"

"You are her imprint. She cares what you want."

Charlie shook his head. "Sue?!" he roared. She ignored him. So, he pulled out his firearm.

Seth looked torn between covering his junk or his ears. He chose his ears.

Charlie fired a round into the ground.

The wolf jerked back in shock.

"Leave him alone," Charlie ordered her. "You are supposed to take notice of me and I am telling you to stop attacking your brother."

The wolf shifted on her paws.

"Of course he didn't tell you, if this was how you were going to react." He waved a hand at poor wolf Lucas still cowering under the log. "You bit him!"

She hung her head.

"Exactly," said Charlie. "Now, you two had better separate until we work out who your alpha is and when they are going to show up in furs." He pointed at the Sue wolf. "Seth left you some clothes back inside the tree line at your house. Go back and get human if you can. If you can't, stay there. Away from Lucas until you two sort this out."

She crawled forward and licked his hand. He patted her on the head. "I know and I know you are worried about Leah. But it's Lucas you have to apologize to, not me." She turned and loped off through the forest.

"Lucas?" Charlie called. "I have known that woman for decades and I have never seen her react to anything like that. She probably just has a head full of crap and hormones and God knows what, right now. She's literally not herself right now, you get that, right?"

"She can hear you through Lucas' mind," Seth suggested.

"I don't care. She was out of line." Charlie noticed naked Seth. "Get some clothes on, Seth."

"Jeez, make up your mind."

Charlie threw his clothes at him. "Who phased first in your pack?"

"Sam. Freaked out. Spent two weeks in the forest alone before he could work out how to change back."

"Jesus." Charlie clicked his fingers and pointed at Seth. "That was when he went missing and Leah was so worried about him."

"Yep." Seth glanced at Lucas. "See, Lucas, Leah is in my pack. I know exactly how you feel."

"So many investigative mysteries are starting to come down to wolves, you know."

"Maybe, but you can't put that on the police report."

"Come on, Lucas, come out. She's gone. We have some clothes here for you."

"Maybe it's Billy and he's not healed properly yet?" Seth asked.

They avoided looking at the wolf in the hope that it would venture out on its own.

"How does this head thing work?" Charlie asked.

"Lucas and Mom will still be in each other's head. It covers hundreds of miles. Not sure of the maximum distance. Jake before the…Oh, you didn't know about that, either."

"What?"

"Before Bella's wedding. Jake flipped out and went lone wolf. He was a huge distance away and we could still… feel him in the pack mind."

"Before Bells called it off?"

"Yeah."

"Huh. Another mystery solved; that was why Billy didn't want to search for him."

"Wouldn't have helped, he wasn't human. The posters didn't match." Seth shrugged.

"Well, shit."

A whine.

"Lucas? You okay?"

Head nod.

"Okay, let's see if we can work out how to get you human again," Charlie said. "Seth describe it to him."

"What? How"

"Use words."


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14 - I'll be home for Christmas**

_Disclaimer: the characters and all recognisable situations belong to Stephenie Meyer - this is a work of fan fiction, except for the legends and histories of the Quileute that, of course, belong to them. I pay my respects to their gods._

* * *

><p>The Volturi ruled the world of vampires after they won control from the Romanians in the hundred year war of 400-500AD. Three male leaders, Aro, Caius and Marcus, and their two remaining wives formed the core. Nine permanent members made up the Guard and a number of more transitory guards. Each wore a cloak, whose color was an indication of their status or ranking; the darker the shade, the more valuable that vampire was considered. The leaders of the Volturi wore pure black. The Volturi made the laws and they enforced them with a brutal hand. They had done so for thousands of years, arising first in Greece and then moving to Italy.<p>

Demetri was one of the ranking members of the Volturi Guard. He was also said to be the greatest vampire tracker that had ever lived.

Demetri flitted through the streets to Dave's Bar. He sat alone at the counter. His originally olive complexion had gone chalky over the years and his long black hair hung to his shoulders. His maroon colored eyes were hidden under dark glasses. He had taken off his velvet cape, exposing his hard and lean body but he still looked a lot like an escapee from a sci-fi convention. His clothes were too old, too dated. No one really took much notice of him so perhaps there was a comic-con on somewhere in the city that night. He got an admiring glance from the barmaid and a few other women in the bar. It was busy and the sunglasses earned a few looks from other customers. He knew he was supposed to maintain a low profile but he had been hunting the profoundly irritating Bella Swan for years and he was getting frustrated.

She had been in the heart of Volterra with that pixie freak and the oh so emotional Edward Cullen. Exposing the vampire secret at midday of the festival of St Marcus. Insanity. They should have just granted his wish for death, but Aro, the collector wanted them.

He had held Alice at the neck while Felix had beaten Edward down and Jane had tortured him, making him scream in pain while Aro looked on with delight. Jane's glee at the chance to inflict pain had turned to disbelief when she found her gifts didn't affect the pathetic little human girl. They all had a laugh about that later, severely out of Jane and Alec's earshot.

It was only later that he understood the pathetic human blocked his skills, too. He was the best tracker the Volturi had ever had. He didn't track your scent or your footprints on the ground; he tracked the essence of your mind. His gift worked across continents and oceans. He could also track you through your contact with others. He had laid his hands on that girl and he could _not_ track her. It was no comfort to him that Aro's gifts didn't work on her either.

Then, they had met a second time, when he had been sent to this very city, Seattle to "deal" with the newborn army with Jane, Alec and Felix. They had realized what Victoria was doing and left her to it, after meeting with her and giving her four days grace. If it damaged the Cullens, Aro would not be pleased; Carlisle always was a favorite of his, but if it damaged them enough to make the remnants join the Volturi? That was a different game. Lose some of the less gifted members of the Cullen family like that pointless mother figure, or the blond bitch who thought she had a gift of beauty. He snorted to himself; there were a dozen females in Volterra more beautiful than her. Or that big dumb lunk, and Aro would thank them for bringing him the more gifted ones. And he _really_ wanted Isabella Swan. The guard had not seen him so interested in a human in centuries. The one person who could deflect Aro's gifts? It was like playing with poison. Felix had voted to just kill her before she was turned and became more powerful.

Demetri suspected that Aro wanted to turn her himself. As painfully as possible; bind her to him by force of personality and if that failed? He'd use Corin, if he could stand for her to be away from the wives Sulpicia and Athenodora for very long. The power to keep others content had seemed like a pointless skill to Demetri until he had seen how Aro used it in his favor. The longer he stayed away from Volterra himself, the clearer he was seeing things.

The four had timed their entrance to be too late to help the Cullens fight Victoria's newborns. And they had entered that clearing to find the smoking carcasses of twenty newborns. Twenty? It was unheard of. Alice had known when they would arrive; never any surprises with that girl around. He was certain that they must have had help, but of what kind he couldn't imagine. The clearing had an odd scent but the reek of burning vampires made it difficult to identify. They all confirmed later that no one had scented it before. Jane insisted on hurrying back to Aro so they didn't stay to investigate.

Then the wedding had been canceled. It had taken the Cullens too long to tell Aro that. He had a tantrum and sent Demetri after her with instructions to bring her back alive. It was then, he discovered the little wrinkle in his plan. He couldn't track her. So, he turned his attention to Alice and Edward and neither had any contact with Isabella as far as he could tell. Not for almost five years.

He had to resort to old fashioned tracking methods. He was in Seattle following another lead based on tax file numbers of all things. The indignity of it. But there was no way he was confessing to Aro that he couldn't find her.

He also missed his friend Felix. So this bar was the strongest lead he had in a while. If the girl had a coaster from this bar, then she had been here or maybe she even worked here.

The barmaid was not in a good mood. She smelled frustrated.

"What'll you have?" she asked.

"Bloody Mary." He wasn't going to drink it, but it amused him to order one. Felix would have laughed.

He turned on the charm for the girl; made small talk, got her out of her bad mood, and then he tried asking her for information. "Do you know a girl called Isabella?"

"No. She a customer?"

"Isabella Swan," he clarified.

Her face cleared. "Oh, Izzy. Yeah, she works here… you just missed her. Left a couple of hours ago with a couple of friends, Jake... and ah, I don't remember the girl's name."

"Really?" He resisted the urge to growl in frustration. "To where?"

"Who's asking?" a male voice queried. The guy glared at the barmaid. His name tag said Dave. Probably the owner.

"Old friend of hers."

"Right."

The guy looked deeply suspicious of him. Did she know she was being tracked? But the girl had said she had just been here. If she had run, she wasn't far in front of him. He stood, threw some money on the bar, a generous tip for the chatty girl and made to leave.

Dave looked him over. "You didn't finish your drink."

"No. Never mind." He clapped his hand on Dave's shoulder. He shrugged Demetri off but not before he had the brain pattern of two others who were with Bella. She was in the front of his thoughts. And an impression of the Pacific Northwest. Of course, Forks, where the Cullens had lived.

She was on her way home. Maybe for the holidays.

Regardless, at vampire speed he tried to zero in on the brain signatures and found one tangled and annoying. The male had something physically wrong with him. The female though, was clear and sharp. Perfect.

"I'll catch _Izzy_ in Forks," he said to Dave.

He almost laughed out loud. It should be easy, the Cullens were nowhere near.

The minute the guy was gone, Dave messaged Izzy to tell her about a creepy guy asking questions about her.

* * *

><p>Bella's phone buzzed with a message from Dave.<p>

"Jake, a creepy guy was looking for me at the bar."

She hadn't finished the sentence before Jake's foot was pushing on the accelerator.

Angela looked nervous.

Jake pulled out his phone. "Call Sam, get someone out on patrol. Two… no, three of them out - all night."

"Okay"

Sam told her Paul and Embry were running it off. Both still angry and still out. He'd send Quil to join them.

"Three out, I heard," Jake said. "Good."

He glanced at Bella in the rear view mirror. "Glad we didn't go to your place, Bells."

"Yeah."

* * *

><p><strong>Earlier, back at the rez<strong>

Josh shucked off his boots at the door and bounded into the forest. He felt wild and free.

The pack. His tribe. His land.

He listened to the night sounds. Sounds he could hear so much better now. Everything was amplified. It was almost overwhelming.

The land. The earth. Blood.

He had a grandson - he never knew and it meant so much to him. It had caught him unawares. The Uley line would continue

Emily said he was a key. Was he a key?

If he was, what did that make Izzy? He knew he would not have been here without her. None of this would have happened without her.

There was something missing - something she hadn't told him. But he trusted her and he could wait for her to do it herself.

He stripped off, put his clothes on top of his shirt and tied it all up in a bundle by the sleeves. He didn't feel the cold. The elevated body temperature made sense now.

He had noticed the man that he knew later as his Sam, approached them at Second Beach shirtless, in December. His son. Fathers and sons. Little Nate sitting on his lap. He had a son and a grandson.

Weren't they all? Back through the chemical markers that made you who you were. Back to the old pack; to the last pack.

He had told Izzy that he dreamed of wolves. What he had not told her was for how long. He had been having dreams like that since he was a teen. Crazy stuff; stuff that made him try to drown it in alcohol and weed. And other, harder things when that didn't work.

He hadn't tried to tell anyone. He hadn't known what it was.

He didn't have the courage to be so different. He wanted to be just like all his friends. Dress the same, listen to the same music, and do the same things. He didn't want to be the boy with weird feelings; the kid with the hunches.

He had buried himself in women and tried not to sleep alone. He had ended up in a marriage that neither of them wanted.

The teens that joined the pack now, did so with others of their kind. The pack looked after its own. He had no one.

And when none of that worked, he had run. He had tried to hide. Away from the land, it was easier.

It had taken him such a long time to understand that he _was_ the problem. He ran and he took his problem with him.

He had cleaned up his act; cleaned up his body and tried to clean up his soul. He had worked in dream analysis. He had tried to help others with healing and massage. He tried to listen, but he had almost left it too late. He had buried his gift so deep that it took some digging to even find it again. Once he was old enough to understand what he had lost.

He knelt on the ground. He closed his eyes and he listened to the forest. He listened to his homeland. The background static of his life was a drum beat. Usually it was slow, sonorous and soporific as if it lulled things to sleep. But now, the tempo was increasing. It was a call to arms, an alarm. Wake it cried. WAKE!

He heard it and now he answered.

He put his head back, his face to the sky and he howled. His arms lifted at his sides until they were held high. He fell, face forward onto the ground and he fell onto paws the size of dinner plates. He howled again; a ululating cry to the heavens.

All the wolves heard him; human and lupine. Some answered.

He shivered, cocked his head to listen and then he picked up his bundle of clothing and trotted purposefully off to the Ateara house to see Old Quil.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15 - I'll be home for Christmas**

_Disclaimer: the characters and all recognisable situations belong to Stephenie Meyer - this is a work of fan fiction, except for the legends and histories of the Quileute that, of course, belong to them. I pay my respects to their gods._

* * *

><p>Leah had been holed up in her hiding place. Years ago she had made a little space of her own in the forest, away from the pack. As far as she knew, they didn't know about it, or if they did they left her alone when she went there. Her little oasis. She checked out. She wondered where Embry was. Probably running. That was how he dealt with emotional stuff. The fact that she knew that was how he dealt with emotional stuff, that they were so close and it was gone again, made her heart hurt. Imprinting. Done her over, again. And Embry. He had enough crap with the parenthood mystery.<p>

She heard a wolf howl. She felt it in her bones.

She had the feeling that all kinds of crap was going down. It was past sunset and it was time for her to check back in and go home. She stood, undressed and tied her clothing to her leg with practiced ease. She phased and headed for home.

She made a greeting to Paul and Embry, who were both patrolling as she had thought. Paul was still stewing over Rachel wanting to leave and Embry… she left him to his thoughts. Rachel should be back by now, too. Maybe Paul was avoiding going home; like Embry.

Instead of heading for home, she went for the Black house. She had done an awful lot of thinking. She could feel another wolf at the edge of her consciousness but couldn't say who it was. Must be an old timer. Were they phasing now, too? It had to happen, if Billy had imprinted, that was the sure sign that he was going to phase, as soon as he was well enough. Billy; her imprint.

She changed back in the forest and then knocked at the back door. She picked up what smelt like Josh's boots on the way and dumped them on the veranda.

"Come in," Billy called.

He was actually standing. He was holding the edge of the kitchen counter. "Leah." He looked sheepish. A look she could honestly say that she had never seen on Billy's face before.

"You're standing."

"I forgot the chair brake. Tried to stand and now I can't get down again. My knees seem to have locked."

As he stood, the chair must have rolled away from him.

Leah fetched it for him. They almost wrestled without touching. Each incredibly aware of the other. In the end, she made an annoyed huff sound and put his arm over her shoulder. She helped him over and he sat in the wheelchair with a relieved sigh. "I am healing all the time. I told Sam I can feel it happening, but I overdid it. Too eager."

She nodded. "You must be hungry; healing takes calories."

"Ravenous."

"I'll cook."

"There's no need."

"No. I want to." She paused. "Not that I need to, I have no crazy imperative to cook for you or anything, I just…" She stopped talking.

"Want to be busy?"

"Yes."

She found a jar of spaghetti sauce and a bag of macaroni in the cupboard and she started looking in the fridge for anything else she could add to it.

Billy watched her carefully as she rummaged in the vegetable crisper.

"Josh phased?" Leah asked.

"Maybe. Headed off to try it. He seemed ready. Had the skin crawls."

"Ah. Yeah I know what that feels like. I found his boots."

When she had finished cutting the things with more force than they probably needed; she threw them in with the sauce.

"Leah," Billy ventured.

"Humph?" She wasn't looking at him.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah." A pause. "I've been thinking. I have a place to go in the forest and I go there to think and the pack doesn't know where it is or if they do they've never said and I am far enough away so that I can't hear anything and listen to me… just babbling. I sound like Seth."

"I'm glad you have a spot of your own to go."

Silence.

She stirred the sauce, banging the wooden spoon on the edge of the battered saucepan.

Billy waited.

"I know you didn't want this," she said.

"No."

"But I can feel it. It felt so good to help you, before. I say I don't need to cook for you but I want to, you know?"

"I think I understand but I can't really say. This is all new to me. Everything is on overdrive right now."

"Sure." She stared into the water waiting for it to boil. "Neither of us chose this. And it's not as if you can break an imprint. Oh, except for Quil?"

"Pardon?"

"Quil went to Neah Bay to visit Claire. And he just comes rolling back and announces at the pack meeting that Claire hates him and it's off. And it is."

"Ah." Billy frowned as he tried to think. "I can't tell you that I hate you, Leah."

"I know." Her voice was tiny. "Me either. 'Coz I don't and it kind of won't let me lie about it."

"My thoughts exactly. Perhaps Claire was just too young?"

"The Gods fucked it up, so they wipe it out? Dry erase and it's gone?" She made an abrupt gesture with her hand.

"Is Quil upset?"

"Nope. Went out and got laid."

"Ah." Billy blinked. "Right."

Leah handed him a glass of water. "You need to keep hydrated, too. It takes a few days to get used to the heat; the sweats take it out of you, too."

"Thank you."

She smiled at him but it faded fast. She stirred the sauce. "So," she said into the pot, "If our imprint isn't dry erased, then what?"

"I don't know. There must be a reason for it. If they are erasing old mistakes, they shouldn't be making new ones."

"I'm the senior female; the alpha female."

"Jake?"

"Didn't imprint on him before, so it wasn't meant to be." She pointed the wooden spoon at him. "You must be the alpha, right? For the older pack?"

"I guess. I'm not sure where Josh fits in, yet."

"I felt someone else phase, and I heard a howl, but they weren't in my head."

"That might have been your mother."

"Mom phased?"

"Yes. Charlie and Seth are with her. But you can go to her if you want."

She looked between him, the door and the sauce. "I'll stay. If they are with her, she'll be okay."

"I won't hold you to the imprint," Billy suggested.

She looked at his face. "You don't understand. It isn't up to you. I've seen imprints before. I've seen them from all sides now."

"Leah, I don't know what to say. I don't want to hurt you." He took a breath. "This is hard for me, too. I've known you since you were a baby. You are the child of my friends. You are the age of my daughters, you are their friend. I do not know how my children will deal with this. I don't want to reject you. I don't know if that will do damage, and I don't want to hurt you, but I don't know what to do. I'm terrified that _not_ letting you go will hurt you, as well. And honestly, I'm not used to not knowing what to do. I always seem to know what is the right thing to do."

She gave a bitter chuckle. "Maybe that's it. I exist to unsettle you."

"Or you exist to change me, somehow."

"Bring you up to date?" she suggested.

He gestured to the chair. "Please sit?"

She sat.

He reached a hand across the table to her. She took it. She couldn't not. They sat there holding hands in silence.

"What do you think Dad would have said about all this?"

"I don't know. He would probably have made a joke or threatened me with his non-existent martial arts skills."

Leah smiled. "Yeah."

"Where's Embry?"

"He's patrolling. What about Sarah?"

"Sarah died a long time ago."

Silence.

"I need to put the pasta in." She stood to do that. She looked at him. "You want to try standing again? Just a few steps while the pasta is cooking."

"Are you trying to bribe me?"

"Maybe."

He nodded.

He put his arm over her shoulder and he tried standing again.

In the fifteen minutes it took to cook, he had pushed himself, with her support, to take three steps consecutively.

Leah had forgotten how big Billy was. Standing, he was much taller than she was. Jake was his son. She wondered if he would grow any, with the phasing.

She was about to serve the food when they both heard Rachel come in.

She and Leah glared at each other for a minute, and then Leah spoke, "Hey, Rach. Where ya been?"

"I was waiting at home for Paul to come back but…" She shrugged.

"He's patrolling. You hungry?"

"Take a seat," Billy said. "There's enough for us all."

"You look great, Dad. Much better already." She kissed him on the forehead.

"I'm worn out," he said. "Leah has been making me walk around the kitchen."

Leah smiled at him. She knew she already felt better for the physical contact between them and she assumed that Billy did, too.

She served Rachel dinner.

Rachel reached back into the drawer for the flatware.

"I'll grab the bread," Leah said.

It felt familiar to all eat together. The three of them ate and Billy filled them in on all the news.

"What are you going to do about Paul?" Leah asked Rachel.

"I dunno. He doesn't have any brothers and sisters. He doesn't understand."

"You kind of said you wanted to leave."

"Becca's my twin!"

Billy watched them carefully, but remained silent.

"I know… and I know Becca was all kinds of upset, but all Paul heard was that you wanted to leave and leave _him_. And he always hears things around him. _He_ is the central pillar of his life."

"I know.

"And you're right; he doesn't get how close twins are."

"It's different to the way I feel about Jake. She's my other half and I was so thrilled to see her and then she just… ran away."

"When you were taking her back to the airport, Quil showed up to tell us that he broke his imprint. Paul thinks you want to break the imprint and be gone." Not that she could, if she was already a wolf, but Leah wanted to tell her the truth.

"How do you know that?" Billy asked Leah.

"I phased earlier, and saw inside his head. He's on patrol with Embry."

"Ah."

"Fuck!" said Rachel. "I don't want to break it!"

"He loves you," Leah said. "He's a dick-"

"But he's my dick," Rachel said. "That's what I thought I could do. Phase with him. Show him _my_ head. Show him I don't want to leave him." She fiddled with her plate. "I didn't want to just push into his thoughts when he's phased and I wanted to talk to him first as me, not the wolf. I tried to explain it to Rebecca the whole way back to Port Angeles but she… she's so terrified. She wouldn't let me tell her any of the good stuff about being a wolf."

"It's not easy," Leah said.

"And she knew none of it before today," Billy added. "She thought it was just a legend."

"No. Rebecca would be devastated if she lost her kids and that freaked her out, too. What it meant for her kids. Are they gonna be wolves? Does she imprint? And my imprint with Paul was okay. I mean I had finished my course, I wasn't dating anyone, and he wasn't with anyone, not like-" She stopped.

Billy and Leah exchanged a look. Rachel had left before anyone had noticed they had imprinted. Billy pursed his lips to indicate silence and Leah nodded. It could wait.

"He's out there," Rachel said. "And there's trouble coming. I can feel it."

"He'll be fine," Leah said.

"Maybe Rebecca can feel trouble coming, too," Billy said. "But because she's not here and not part of the pack, she doesn't know what it is? That would be enough to upset her without knowing why."

"You're being too nice, Dad. She gave up on the tribe a long time ago."

"She married Solomon at eighteen to get away," Leah said.

Billy sighed. "I know. I'll call him and leave a message for her. Make sure she knows we aren't angry with her." He looked at the others. "We aren't… right?"

"No," Rachel said. "Just disappointed. I'm going home."

Leah and Billy were doing the dishes when her phone rang.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16 - I'll be home for Christmas**

_Disclaimer: the characters and all recognisable situations belong to Stephenie Meyer - this is a work of fan fiction, except for the legends and histories of the Quileute that, of course, belong to them. I pay my respects to their gods._

* * *

><p>[AN: According to the family trees in the Illustrated Twilight Guide by Stephenie Meyer, that I am using in this story, Billy Black has four sisters. One of whom is Collin's mother. I can't adequately explain how this can be. The guide was released AFTER the book series was completed. <strong>If<strong> they were around, then Jake would have had a much more normal teen life. From the books he spent a lot of his time looking after his father. I really think it is another thing that SM has just made up later, with no thought of how it skewed the earlier books. Plus the whole thing that there are only three options for Embry's father goes out the window if a whole lot of other people have wolf kids. There was ZERO mention of Billy's sisters in the books or that Collin was Jake's first cousin. She also gave Paul a name, added in an extra generation for Jake's and Quil's families and still didn't give poor old Kim a surname. But don't get me started…

But I am following that new history, so it is self-inflicted I suppose. Sigh.]

* * *

><p>Collin Littlesea's mother was a twin; a Black twin in fact. There were more than a few of them scattered through the family tree. Connie Black. And there was no one she was closer to or on rare occasions that she fought harder with than her twin Jennie. Today was one of those rare days. Collin sat with a bowl of cereal and listened. He'd eaten dinner but he was hungry again. Not that he needed to listen in, he could hear them a mile away. He was eighteen now, but still lived at home.<p>

She was on the phone but Collin knew it was her twin she was talking to. They were fighting over Rebecca Black. It seemed she had arrived at the rez to see Billy and then had turned around and left again without bothering to see anyone else in the family, either. It was the biggest family news in ages. Almost as big as Billy getting better.

And someone was trying to call them. He could hear the intermittent beep that she was ignoring. Then he heard Sam, his pack Beta call from outside the house.

He ducked out to see him. "Was that you on the phone?"

"Yeah. Where's yours?"

"Dunno. Might be in my room somewhere."

"Find it. But first calm her down," Sam said.

"What? Why?"

"Or get her outside."

"Sam?"

"The parents are phasing, Collin."

"Shit! She's a Black."

"Yep."

He thought about it. "Cut the power off," Collin said.

"Huh?"

"It'll cut the handset off and end the call. It's a cordless phone."

"Good. I'll do that. You grab her and get her outside. Where's your father?"

"I'm not sure. Why?"

"They are imprinting, too." Sam looked more serious than he normally did. "Just in case… it'd be good if their spouses are the first people they see."

"There aren't any guarantees."

"I know that."

"I'll call him and get him to meet us here. Give me a minute to sniff out my phone."

"Good."

Sam's phone buzzed. It wasn't Jake as he expected, but Bella using his phone to tell him they were on their way back and she may have a tail. Sam almost rolled his eyes. This girl was trouble. Constant trouble. Jake should be here - he was the Alpha and he was off a road trip with Bella.

He promised Jake he'd get Quil out on patrol, too. Three experienced wolves ought to be able to handle whatever they came across. He called Quil and got him moving and then he tried to think who he had forgotten. Embry and Quil, the fatherless boys were on patrol. Paul's dad was god knows where out in the forest. Jared and Brady were all he had left. Shit. He started dialing Jared. He could get Jared to call Brady and warn him, and that was as much as he could do right now. He turned the power off and heard a raucous squawk from inside the house, followed by a shout, "Collin! What did you do?"

* * *

><p>The Ateara house was a hive of activity. Joy Ateara was cleaning. She always cleaned when she got stressed. They had both heard a wolf howl a few minutes ago.<p>

Old Quil, who was actually her father-in-law and no relation to her, watched her with careful eyes. They had lived together for a very long time.

"…And then he just says its over. Does that seem right to you? I know she was only a child and we all worried about how he could wait for her for so long. But why would the wolf gods decide MY son is not good enough for an imprint? Answer me that."

Old Quil had already tried answering her several times, but she didn't really want to hear it; she wanted to vent. They knew each other well. She needed to vent and to clean.

There was a whine sound and a scratch at the back door, as if a very large dog had scratched on it. Joy had decided to rearrange the pots and pans, and was below counter level with her head inside the cupboard. She was still talking and she didn't hear the whine.

Old Quil rose and opened the door.

An enormous black wolf sat there holding a bundle of clothes in its mouth. It's head cocked intelligently to the side.

"Sam? … no… Joshua Uley."

The old man grabbed his winter coat and boots from the rack in the hallway and slipped outside.

By the time Joy came up for air, he was gone. "Oh, for Heaven's sake," she muttered. "What now?"

The shaman and the wolf walked slowly towards the forest. The old man rested his hand on the wolf's shoulder; using it like a guide dog in the darkness.

"Can you see the clearing?" he asked it. "With a ring of stones around the fire pit?"

The wolf changed direction slightly. They reached the clearing and the wolf placed its bundle down.

Old Quil patted his pockets looking for a lighter or matches. The wolf went to fetch kindling. Together they got a fire stacked and lit.

Temporary seats made from rough chain sawed pieces of tree were placed around the circle. The wolf lay down near the seat the old man had chosen.

"The ground is too cold for me these days," he said.

He studied the creature.

"You confuse me, Joshua Uley."

The wolf tilted its head in a question.

"Can you hear any other wolves in your head?"

A shake for no.

"No? Hmmm… that is odd. I know there would be a patrol of the youth pack, and some new wolves have phased recently for the older pack. If you are in the pack, you can hear them. So, you fit with neither?"

He threw some wood on the fire.

"How did it go with Bella?"

The wolf tilted its head the other way.

"I saw you both asleep at the Black house. I used a cedar sprig, a dream catcher and some sage smoke to bless you both and ordered Embry to stand guard, so that you would not be disturbed."

The wolf made a strangled choke noise.

"She is your imprint now? Yes?"

A nod.

"Huh. I suppose that makes sense."

He shifted, stretching his legs a little.

"Ah, Swan women," he said. "They're different."

A whine. Clearly another question.

"You have forgotten. I wed a Swan. My Molly was a great aunt of Charlie's. In those days, once she wed me, she didn't have much more to do with her family." He shrugged. "We had each other and the tribe accepted her."

He tapped his temple with a fingertip. "That's how I knew that you two were dream walking."

He picked up a stick and poked the fire with it.

"So, the question I ask myself is, how did I miss seeing you before now?"

The wolf dropped its head onto its paws.

The old man sighed. "But first, we need to get you back in your own skin and then we can discuss history."

* * *

><p>It took him about half an hour to coach Josh on how to phase back and for Josh to actually achieve it.<p>

"Very good!" The old man clapped his hands as the black fur coalesced into a human man. "That was quick."

Josh stood and stretched, rolled his neck and windmilled his arms, before picking up the bundle of his clothes and redressing. His feet stayed bare.

"Thank you," he said as he took a seat and pointed his toes towards the fire.

"You are, I believe, my replacement," said Old Quil.

"Maybe, and to answer your earlier question, you missed seeing me because I didn't want to be seen. It took me a long time to understand that I had a gift. And to accept that."

"Ah, let me think… I fear that is only half true. Call it pride, but I was certain that my son would be the next shaman and follow in my footsteps. Foolish pride as it turned out. I was perhaps, not looking hard enough elsewhere."

They stared into the fire.

Josh cleared his throat. "Bella told me he was lost."

"The sea took him. If he had truly been chosen by the gods he would have survived."

"Huh." Josh had done an awful lot of criminally insane things in his life with remarkably little damage. Was that the gods looking after him? "I am sorry."

"That was a bad time. I feared that with the darkness I fell into after his death, I may have missed seeing the spark in another."

"But I was already gone."

"Then I pinned my hopes on Quil junior, but…" He shrugged eloquently. "He does not have the gift and now he is a wolf. A strong one but he has no magic."

He studied Josh. "Usually it is one or the other."

"A wolf or a shaman, not both?"

"Yes."

"Maybe we need both now. We all understand that something very dire is coming."

"Yes, the portents are bad."

"Emily told Sam I was the key."

"Hmmm… or a bridge? Between the packs. We are yet to work out if they can communicate with each other." He hummed to himself.

Josh waited for a minute or so. "Molly? She could dream with you? Izzy and I can interact in our dreams. I said she was in mine, but I am honestly not sure."

"Yes. I think it is a Swan trait. Their minds are closed… no-" he waved a hand "-that is the wrong word. Protected. In one way they are closed, but they are open in other ways."

"I had been moving slowly closer to home, but Izzy is _my_ key," Josh said. "She made this happen. Something made me want to bring her back here. I didn't even know she had a history with this place. All I wanted to do was to show her the dawn."

"It was meant to happen."

"Look what we have been through today, alone."

"There was trouble before, when she was here."

"Was that when the pack formed?"

"Yes, first time in three generations."

"Five years ago?"

A nod.

"When my dreams got most insistent."

"She is valuable to the tribe."

"Priceless to me," Josh said.

Old Quil chuckled and poked the fire again. "Now, he started, listen…"


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17 - I'll be home for Christmas**

_Disclaimer: the characters and all recognisable situations belong to Stephenie Meyer - this is a work of fan fiction, except for the legends and histories of the Quileute that, of course, belong to them. I pay my respects to their gods._

_Thanks to BanSidhe [ruadh sidhe] and Feebes86 for betaing and pre-reading._

[AN: I have to introduce about a dozen people if I follow the family trees from The Guide and make up names for the others that are NOT listed. But there really isn't another way to do it. Not that I can see. Originally I had imagined this story would be posted on JBNP and I could load pictures and diagrams to help explain it all… sorry. Just ask if you're confused and I will try to explain it better.]

* * *

><p>Old Quil gave Josh a crash course in Quileute shamanism but he was elderly and it had been a very intense day. That was all he had the time and energy to lecture Josh on, other things remained to be taught or spoken of for another time. The last thing they did, was get Josh to phase and then open his mind to the packs.<p>

It was chaos.

He yelped in pain and phased human again.

"Both packs are alpha-less with Jake away and Billy not phased yet." Josh was starting to regret sending Bella away. He missed her and the tribe needed Jake here.

The old man looked tired. "See if you can pick a wolf. Try to filter it down so that you only hear one."

"You need to rest."

"We do this first."

Josh braced himself and phased back in. He closed them all down. Phew. Silence. Now he tried to search for just one wolf. But which one? Sam? He was his son. He let his wolf spirit reach out and he got…

_Who's that?_

_It's Josh._

_Oh… you're awake._

Josh picked up an air of confusion. _And you are?_

_Sorry. Embry Call._

_Our guard. Thank you._

The wolf flashed him a quick image of a man with his hands over his ears. _Oh… sorry. Didn't mean to do that._

_No, I'm sorry. We didn't know that was going to happen._

_What did happen?_

_I suppose I owe you that. We imprinted in a dream._

_Whoa. Really? That's different. So she'll be staying around?_

_Or staying with me._

The wolf played a memory montage of Bella. How he met her in Jake's garage. How Paul had phased in front of her when Jake brought her to meet the pack. He seemed pleased for her but concerned about what was happening recently.

_Who was that? The gray wolf?_

_Paul Lahote. She almost attacked us. She thought we were hurting Jake._

_She attacked a wolf?_

_She slapped him. She didn't know he was a wolf and he phased in front of her._

_What?_ Josh was horrified_._

_Jake defended her. Paul never got near her. _Embry sounded proud of Jake.

_Ah… okay. They are good friends._

_Yes._

_You're her friend, too._

_Yes. _Embry showed him the meeting with Bella at Jake's when Josh was unconscious. It cut off quickly, as if he had shut it down at a certain point.

_Thanks. _Seeing her, even in Embry's thoughts was a relief.

_A message got through to us that someone or something is tailing her. We are on patrol. If it's a vamp it won't get past us._

_Tailing?_

_Followed her from the bar. Owner called Bella, Jake called Sam._

_Dave's. Got it._

_They are on the way back._

_Good._

_Need to get back to it._

_Okay, thanks, Embry._

_You're welcome._

He let him go and resumed his human form.

"I got Embry," he said to Old Quil. "But I think I know how to do it now, if you want to sleep."

"I am very tired," the old man admitted.

"Can you get home okay?"

"Joy will have left a light on."

"I'll walk with you and it will give me a chance to take a breather." Josh was worried about the shaman.

"I can give you a strap to tie your trousers to your leg. That is what the others do to hold their clothes."

* * *

><p>After delivering Old Quil home, Josh headed back to the forest, took a breath and tried again. He was no good at this and he had to learn fast. He was not able to find Sam, perhaps he wasn't phased. He tried for whoever was closest physically; letting the wolf spirit fan out to locate others. He tried to broadcast his identity as a kind of heading for the message. He found one.<p>

_Josh? Is that you? It's Seth._

_Seth?_

_Clearwater. You phased? Awesome!_

_Oh, right. Yes. Are you okay?_

_I'm trying to teach my uncle Lucas how to phase back. He's having trouble understanding and I can't talk to him wolf mind. Wait a sec… how am I talking to you?_

_It's complicated. I'm still learning myself. Who else phased?_

_My mom. And those two have kept me and Charlie busy. As far as I know, no new wolves for the existing pack or the old pack or are we really the young pack, right?_

_Charlie is with you?_

_Yeah. He's been great._

_So you are all family… I wonder if that will work… show me where you are._

The black wolf started to trot off to Seth's location.

_Maybe I can get a …I'm not sure what to call it… a communication thread open along family lines?_

_Worth a try. This is nuts and Charlie's only advice was to use words to explain how to phase for Christ's sake. How the heck can I explain wolf stuff with words? Oh, but one thing… I mean, I'm a bit worried._

Josh was thinking that wolf Seth was very chatty. _What are you worried about?_

_My mom… you know… being in my head… with my memories… of stuff moms shouldn't know about._

_Sure Seth, I get that. I'm certain she's thinking the same. No problem. Can I order you not to think about stuff? Keep it strictly wolf business?_

_Would you? _He sounded desperate_. Jeez, I bet Charlie won't want it either. They date… you know…_

_I'm not sure if it will work. I don't think I am an alpha._

_You feel… important. I can't explain it. Plus Mom's still mad at Lucas. He's gay and he never told her. She already bit him! But she imprinted on Charlie so she should be happy…_

_Poor Lucas._

_Yeah. It's good that Charlie is here, actually, I would have lost it without him. He's doing okay._

_Hang on, Seth._

* * *

><p>It worked. With the strict limitation on the three wolves to only concentrate on phasing, Josh got them all together in the one place physically and mentally in his head. Both Sue and Lucas were relieved to have some small amount of peace. It seemed people all over the rez were phasing. Sue pointed out that not all of them were pack parents; some were uncles (like Lucas), aunts, and other family members. She explained to Josh about the wolf genes. Old Quil hadn't mentioned it, but they were concentrating on shaman stuff.<p>

Josh taught them the crash course on phasing that Old Quil had taught him. Seth was jealous and swore that he hadn't done that for any of the pack.

Charlie stood there holding piles of clothes and shaking his head a lot.

Sue finally started thinking more like a tribal elder and less like a pissed off emotional she-wolf. She got herself under control and acted as leader until their alpha phased. Everyone was pretty certain that it would be Billy Black, but he still wasn't ready to join them.

It really helped that Seth had finally taught Lucas how to phase back and the siblings were not in each other's heads anymore. Lucas wasn't so sure about phasing wolf again and preferred to stay human for the moment.

Charlie patted his shoulder and agreed that maybe he could take a break.

Sue asked Josh to find Leah, she was worried about her. She still hadn't managed to phase back and finding Leah would help her to stop worrying about her, too. He tracked her down quickly by phoning her.

"She's at Billy's. Rachel just left. Do you think we need them both?" he asked wolf Sue.

She nodded her head.

"Leah? We need you. Wolves are popping up all over the rez."

"Shit. It's supposed to be a secret. I mean it's tribal legend, they all know that, but we have tried so hard to keep it that way."

"May I speak to Billy?"

"Sure. Hang on."

"Josh?"

"We need that council meeting. I know I asked for it when I arrived, but we really need it now."

"Jake will be back tonight hopefully. First thing in the morning?"

"Nine am?" Josh suggested. "Old Quil will be well rested by then as well."

"I hope we will have everyone under control by then."

"If we don't they will just have to come in their best fur coat. As Leah just said, the secret is blown wide open now."

Billy laughed, "As long as they can listen. Things are changing so fast." He sounded a little maudlin.

"Yes, too fast for some of us."

"This is Leah's phone," Billy reminded him.

"Right."

When Sue had managed to phase back perfectly, Josh asked her to teach the other people that were occasionally phasing in. He could feel them as an undercurrent below their conversation.

He wondered how on earth he was going to control this when they were all in wolf form. They were all going to need a lot of practice. He really hoped they got the time for it.

* * *

><p>Charlie started writing a list of wolves. Seth would call out names to him. He had to phase human to do it. Charlie was a little concerned how often he was seeing Seth naked. He was also concerned about how much noise they were all making. It was the middle of the night and lights were going on and off all over the rez, interspersed with the occasional wolf howl.<p>

"Oh, there goes Adam Fuller, Brady's dad. Brady said he's confused, but not aggressive."

Josh joined in, too. "And Connie Littlesea. Collin's mother."

"She's Billy's sister," Charlie said. "That means the other Black girls might go, too."

Charlie ended up holding a clipboard and several phones. He was starting to think he'd need to deputize someone when Joy Ateara appeared at his elbow rugged up in her winter jacket and a knitted cap.

"Couldn't sleep. Need any help, Charlie?"

"Oh, thank God."

She scanned down the list of names. She knew all the families, so she knew who was missing and who was out of town. "Anyone heard from Nikiti Lahote?" she asked out loud.

She got a lot of head shakes in reply.

"Jane Wilde," she said.

"What about her?"

"She's Sarah Black's sister. She carries a wolf gene too, if Jake and the girls have two; they must have got one from Billy and one-"

"-from Sarah," Charlie finished.

"Josh? Where are your brothers and sisters? Do you know?"

He shook his head.

Joy frowned. "I thought Ellen had gone alternative and moved away, but his elder brother Thomas should be around. Sue? What about Harry's family?"

"Harry had an elder brother Michael and a younger sister Elizabeth," Charlie said. "They aren't too old?"

"I don't think so, if Billy is going to pop."

"Embry's mother?" Charlie asked.

"She's Makah. So that's four in the Clearwater family: Sue, Michael, Elizabeth and Adam Fuller."

"The Blacks, we've got: Billy probably, his sisters, Nora, Emmie, Connie and Jennie." Charlie was keeping tabs down the side of the paper.

"And Jared is a Black cousin, so his mother Saathi should phase."

"The Uleys, we've got Josh, his elder brother Thomas and younger sister Ellen. Plus on the other side you've got Sue and Lucas."

"So that's sixteen if they all change." Charlie stopped and looked up at Joy. He looked shocked. "Sixteen?" he repeated.

"Goodness," said Joy. "With the current pack of eleven, after Rachel joined. How will we feed them all?"


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18 - I'll be home for Christmas**

_Disclaimer: the characters and all recognisable situations belong to Stephenie Meyer - this is a work of fan fiction, except for the legends and histories of the Quileute that, of course, belong to them. I pay my respects to their gods._

_Thanks to BanSidhe [ruadh sidhe] and Feebes86 for betaing and pre-reading._

* * *

><p>Paul and Embry were patrolling but each was lost in their own thoughts. They felt Leah phase in and out again. And Seth a few times. They returned to silent running, that is until Quil rolled into their heads exuding happiness and stomped all over their pity party.<p>

_Hey guys! Sam says you need me._

_Paul: Why you?_

Quil assumed Paul was asking a real question.

_Quil: A creepy guy was asking about Bells in the bar in Seattle. And you know what Sam's spidey senses are like._

_Embry: Creepy guy equals vampire?_

_Quil: Fuck! I hope so! It's awesome! Do you think it could be another newborn army?_

_Embry: Right because that was all kinds of fun last time._

He couldn't help remembering Leah trying to show her independence and getting Jake hurt. They all winced at the crack of half of Jake's bones breaking in Embry's memory.

_Paul: If he is a vampire, then he's not a newborn, dumbass_

_What? Why?_

_He's in a __**bar**__._

_Oh… right. Newborns can't behave themselves in public._

They ran for a while before Quil piped up again.

_Embry, can I show you Candie; with an 'ie'._

_Yes, Quil._

_Paul: What the fuck. Why did you say yes?_

_It's Quil. He'll show us anyway._

They both got a flash of a bleached blond in a preposterous pose on the closed hood of what had to be her car. Naked.

_Embry: oh, my God._

_Paul: Well, first off, those tits aren't real._

_Quil: What? They sooo are._

_Paul: __**Not**__. Silicone, buddy. They don't move._

_Quil: Who cares. I like them._

The good natured bantering continued for some time until Embry blacked out for a few minutes.

_Quil: Where did you go?_

_Embry: Josh phased. He can isolate a pack member. Just talk to one at a time._

_Paul: And he chose you? Interesting._

_Embry: I don't think it was deliberate. He's not an alpha… he's something else._

_Quil: Awesome!_

_Paul: Fuck's sake, Quil. Not everything is awesome._

_Quil: it __**so**__ is…_

Embry wished he could phase out of the pack mind for about the thousandth time. How did Josh do that? It was a neat trick. Go lone wolf.

They continued patrolling for some time… until…

_Embry: guys?… I smell a vamp._

He showed them where he was and the three formulated a plan quickly, after years of doing this. This was their country; they knew every log and every tree and they knew how to use it to their advantage.

* * *

><p>Demetri hated the wilderness. It smelt weird for a start. He would have preferred to steal a car, but he needed to be quick to catch them and cross country on foot was faster. He was hungry, too. His maroon eyes darkened.<p>

Avidly he followed the trail of the clear brained female.

In Volterra, he remembered Bella offering herself for her vampire lover. Maybe she'd do the same for this friend? Even if she wasn't with her, the friend might be useful as bait, or to feed on? And it was such a clear brain. Ugh. She was a beacon of virtue. Nice; she was nice.

A noise.

Probably just wildlife. These forests were full of racing heartbeats of all sizes but he frowned, that one did seem rather large. A predator of some kind.

He slowed his pace a little and then he caught sight of it through the trees; a wolf. It was moving at a pace as fast as the vampire. Not just any wolf, then. This thing was clearly supernatural.

He glanced at the night sky to confirm. It wasn't a werewolf; there was no full moon. So it was not a child of the moon as Caius, one of the Volturi leaders, termed them. He hated werewolves with a passion. Had hunted them almost to extinction. He'd be interested to hear about this creature.

He moved closer to it, to get an idea of its size. It was a shock how massive it was. It moved away from him.

It was then he caught the scent.

That scent!

_That's_ what it was in the clearing with the Cullens. So they _did_ have help. And that freak Alice knew when they were arriving and had sent away their pet wolves before the Guard could see them. Curse Jane for being a fool. He knew they should have investigated.

He paced it; it veered away when he moved towards it. He sped up, it did too. He slowed and it stayed level with him. Was it intelligent? How could it be? It was just a giant, dumb animal. How did the Cullens train it to help them? Did he seem familiar to it? Did it think he was like one of the Cullens? Was his scent similar to theirs? Did it miss them? Could it be trained to respond to his commands? How impressed would Aro be with him, if he came back with a trained wolf as a pet?

He kept his mind locked on his target, clear and bright ahead of him.

A thought occurred. It was a wolf.

Werewolves were singular creatures but this beast was no Were. The wolves of Europe hunted in packs. Did this beast have a pack?

As they ran, his attention locked on the gray beast with brown patches, he failed to notice the arrival of a second creature; one of such a dark brown as to be almost invisible in the forest. It looked like a moving shadow when he heard it's heartbeat and then caught sight of it.

He turned and the two animals rotated around to maintain their places. If he slowed, the one behind harried him, snapping and growling. They were intelligent; not as dumb as he first thought.

He tried to get a sense of the brain within but all he got was a tangled aggressive mess that seemed familiar.

Like the brain of the male in the bar. The man Dave had touched.

Now he knew what they were. Shape shifters.

Shape shifters and Isabella Swan was with them. The male had been in a human form in the bar. Dave had shaken his hand.

It had been a very long time since Demetri had been in a fight alone. He was usually paired with Felix, but he could look after himself. You didn't survive to reach the ranks of Guard in the Volturi if you couldn't fight. But against two of these massive creatures? It would be a challenge; one he was certain he could meet. A defeated animal could be offered its life for servitude.

But, each attempt to get close to one or the other resulted in failure. And then he understood what they were doing. They were herding him; the two of them.

Another thought. What were they herding him towards?

He searched the forest ahead of him for an escape. The sea? Too far away. This wilderness had nothing; barely any roads and very few built up areas. No chance to grab a nearby hostage. Did they care about people? Maybe?

He looked up. What if he went for the trees? He'd lose speed. The wolves could not climb. He slowed down and started looking up ahead of him.

As if it knew what he was thinking, the brown wolf hit a tree at full pace with its head. It barely slowed, darting around the trunk as the tree tilted and crashed to the forest floor behind it.

It was telling him, no climbing.

Whatever.

He had to take his chances with two of the creatures before the pack, or whatever they were herding him towards, showed up. He wished, not for the first time, for the ability to paralyze your opponent like the twins. Jane and Alec had won the hundred years war for Aro. They had wiped out over a hundred vampires in the last battle. Jane inflicted pain and Alec blanketed all your other senses. Alone, pain wracked and in a void, you died quicker or you surrendered. That day they had just died.

He made a sudden dart for the brown wolf. It had shaken its head after head-butting the tree. He was banking on it being injured.

He bet wrong.

Closer up, the thing was huge. He was six feet three; he never looked it standing next to the six feet nine of Felix, but it was up to his shoulder.

It attacked him; slammed its massive body into him and bowled him through the forest. His marble limbs tore off branches as he rolled. He landed on his feet, turned and ran back the way he had come. He certainly hoped it was the right direction; it was difficult to tell in this forest where everything looked the same. No, he caught the signal of the clear brain, now behind him.

The wolves pounded after him.

He had never seen anything this fast in his thousand years. And he could hear something else, it must be another wolf. It had circled behind him when he tried to attack the brown one.

With a leap, he tore a limb from a cedar and he used it as a flail. He smacked the lighter, smaller wolf away. It yelped but came back at him.

Pivoting, knowing the second wolf would take the chance to attack, he struck it too. The branch splintered.

He dropped it and ran again.

Now he was running for his life. But he had made a discovery; they could be hurt. He prepared to leap, to tear more ammunition from a tree.

As he leapt high in the air, the mottled wolf leapt, too and the third, a silver wolf burst from the trees.

In a move so perfect it looked balletic, each hit him with open jaws at exactly the same time.

The crash was deafening and he screamed as each wolf tore an arm from his shoulders.

He fell, off balance and jumped back to his feet, but the fight was already over. Bleeding venom, he tried to run, fell and rose again.

The three circled him, the noose drawing ever tighter. He stumbled a little further, all grace and elegance gone.

All he had left now, was his voice.

"You can't protect her!" he shouted in accented English.

They didn't reply.

"They'll come for her. Don't you understand.** She promised!**" he shouted at them.

"Nobody breaks a promise to Aro. Nobody!"

They hit him with the crash of bowling balls, then the sound of metallic screeching competed with the screams of the dying vampire as the three wolves tore him apart between them.

* * *

><p>When it was finished, the wolves folded in upon themselves and three naked men stood there breathing heavily.<p>

One spat. "Oh. My. God. Velvet capes? What the ever loving fuck," Paul swore.

"You okay, Embry?" Quil asked.

"Yeah." Embry stared at the vampire parts. "You?"

Quil bounced in place. "I'm cool. Did you see me fell that tree… with **my head**?"

Paul rolled his eyes. "Yes, Quil. We saw you."

"Who's got the lighter?" Embry asked.

They made a fire and tossed in small pieces until the venom caught and the larger pieces would burn.

"Stupid velvet smokes, too. What's wrong with a nice flammable rayon?" Paul grumbled.

"Got all of it?" Embry asked.

"Well, I'm not reconstituting it to make sure," Paul said.

"They do that," said Quil. "See?" He had parts of a finger and as he held it near, it knitted back together.

Paul shuddered. "Just burn it, Quil." He tossed in a larger piece and watched the fire flare up.

Embry found his phone and called Jake. These days, they risked the noise to be able to communicate. "Jake?… got it… do you want us to stay out? Just in case? … sure, sure. No probs."

The others could hear what Jake said so Embry didn't bother to repeat it. Jake and the others had just reached the rez. They were safe.

"I reckon he was alone," Embry said.

"Yeah, me too," said Quil.

"He was a dumbass. Never seen anything like us before, eh?" said Paul.

"Nope. I wonder what his last thought was?"

"What the fuck, Quil. Who cares?"

It was of his friend, Felix.


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19 - I'll be home for Christmas**

_Disclaimer: the characters and all recognisable situations belong to Stephenie Meyer - this is a work of fan fiction, except for the legends and histories of the Quileute that, of course, belong to them. I pay my respects to their gods._

_Thanks to BanSidhe [ruadh sidhe] and Feebes86 for betaing and pre-reading._

* * *

><p>Jake shivered suddenly as he was driving.<p>

"Jake?" Angela asked.

He looked around at Bella. "I don't know what that was… but it felt… different."

"Was it a wolf?"

"Not sure. It felt as if the magic shifted. Does that make sense?"

"Magic? The tribe has a shaman," she explained to Angela.

"Old Quil. But he's eighty five," Jake said. "And he should have been training his replacement, but there wasn't anyone."

"Maybe there is now?" Bella suggested carefully.

"I hope so."

"You said Josh had magic," Angela reminded her. "Could it be him?"

Jake and Bella exchanged a weighty look.

"Could be," said Jake.

* * *

><p>It was miles later when Jake grabbed his phone before Bella got to it.<p>

"Embry? It _was_ a vamp? … Good… yeah, stay out patrolling… We are almost home. Thanks." He hung up. "Dave was right," he said to Bella.

"He knew I was a bit off in the bar. Worried about something."

"He's got good instincts."

Angela looked worried. "A vamp? What is that? A _vampire_? After us? What did it want?" Her voice rose slightly at the end as her fear came through.

Jake patted her arm. "They didn't stop to ask it. But we know it was after Bella. The pack took care of it."

Angela twisted around in the seat to look at Bella in the back. "What aren't you telling us?"

She sighed and didn't answer.

"Bells?" Jake asked.

"I-I… can I tell everyone at once?" Her voice was tiny.

"Meeting," Jake said. "First thing tomorrow."

Bella sighed again. "Okay." She didn't sound happy about it.

Bella was looking out the window. She was desperate for a glimpse of the rez. All she could think of was Josh. They had most certainly met in dreams but the last time she saw him, he had passed out and was unconscious on a bed. She nibbled at her nails.

Jake glanced at her. "We've got a welcoming committee."

"What?"

"There's a wolf out there. One I don't recognize."

"What? Where?" In the near midnight light, she couldn't see.

Jake pointed.

"It's… black; yeah black."

"Like Sam?"

"Yeah. But wolves aren't usually family colors."

"Josh!" She scrabbled at the door. "He knows this car. It's Josh. Stop the car."

"Here?"

"Now, Jake! I know it's him."

He pulled over and she couldn't get the seatbelt off or open the door fast enough. She stumbled out of the car in her haste.

"Josh!"

She ran towards him, off the side of the road and he bounded towards her in wolf form. Seamlessly he phased back to human and scooped her up, swinging her around before their faces crashed together. She clutched at him. She couldn't get close enough to him. Her hands tangled in his long hair. They kissed as if they hadn't seen each other for months.

"Are y-you that b-big?" Angela asked Jake.

"Oh, crap honey, I forgot you hadn't seen a wolf change. I'm sorry." He hugged her.

"It's one thing to be told, quite another to see it."

"Sure, sure. I'm sorry. I just didn't think."

"Bella would have killed you if you didn't stop the car."

"She might have tried." He held her closer. "I'm way bigger than he is."

Jake and Angela got out of the car and by then, Bella was plastered down Josh's front, covering his nudity.

"Goodness," said Angela. "They kiss like the world is ending."

Jake smiled. "Yeah, they do." He put his arm around Angela.

"I missed you," Josh breathed at Bella, when she let him take a breath.

"Me too. I mean, I missed you, too." She chuckled.

"What's been happening?" Jake asked.

"Everything. All at once." Josh smacked his hand on his forehead. "Oh, Izzy, I forgot to book a room for us."

"Doesn't matter. I'd sleep with you in the forest," she whispered to him. She had her arms around his waist and her cheek pressed against his chest. His arm was around her.

He laughed. "You might have to. So many people have shown up or come home unexpectedly."

Angela had her hand over her eyes. She waved a hand vaguely at Josh. "Still naked."

"Oh, sorry… I've got some athletic shorts here somewhere."

Angela hid her face in Jake's chest while he put them on.

"So…?" Josh asked with a head jig at Angela, "Who's this?"

"You knew… you sneaky thing," Bella accused.

"Knew what?"

"You sent me to Seattle and my old Forks school friend Angela was looking for me and just happened to be in the bar, and then Jake saw her-"

"And imprinted," Jake said.

Josh laughed. "I didn't know any of that, I just knew you had to go back."

"Why?" Bella asked.

"I knew a friend was looking for you and I knew they were needed. I didn't know who they were or even what sex, but I thought it was _you_ that needed them."

"More dreams?"

He smiled at her.

"She's needed?" Jake asked.

Josh shrugged. "I don't know how."

"What is needed is a haircut," Jake said. "You can't phase with long hair."

"I am starting to get that."

Bella protested. "It's the middle of the night."

"It will take ten minutes, believe me and it will make his life so much easier. May as well do it now; he's already phasing."

"I remember when you cut all your hair off."

He smiled at her. "You sort out a cabin. Quil's mom books them from the shop so she'd have the keys. Angela can meet Dad and I'll cut Josh's hair."

"Sounds like a plan. How can I be useful now?" Angela asked.

"You can kiss _me_ like the world is ending," Jake said to her.

* * *

><p>Bella felt elated for the first time all day. Or maybe it was already the next day. Angela tried to argue about staying but Jake wouldn't hear anything else. He just determinedly drove everyone back to his home.<p>

"Please stay," he finally said to her. "Then you'll be here for the meeting tomorrow."

Angela looked a bit doubtful, but agreed. "Okay."

Jake beamed at her.

"I'll get to hear Bella's secret, too," she added.

"Yeah," Josh said, with a glare at her.

"Ahhh… who have you been talking to?" Bella asked as she got out of the car.

"Everybody," Billy answered from the porch.

"Dad! You're standing."

"Not for long. I can do little bursts." He eyed off Angela suspiciously.

"This is Angela Weber. And she's mine!" Jake crowed.

Angela looked amused.

"Imprint?" Billy asked very quietly. Too low for Angela to hear.

"Yep!"

"Finally! Welcome to our home, Angela."

"That's not an introduction I expected," Angela said. "Shouldn't you get to know me first?"

"If Jake's wolf chose you, I think you must be perfect."

She laughed. "Oh, I see where he gets the charm, now."

Jake grinned. "We have to cut Josh's hair, find a cabin for them and I need to work out what the heck is going on."

"I can cut hair if you need to go, now," Angela offered. "I used to do the twins."

"Twins?" Jake asked.

"I have twin little brothers, although they are not so little anymore."

"More twins," Billy said.

Angela looked blank.

"Jake has twin sisters, and twin aunts," Bella said.

"And twin grandparents and great grandparents," Billy added.

"Seriously? So it's unavoidable."

"Pretty much," Bella said.

Jake looked at Josh. He hadn't let go of Bella since he had got out of the car. He was standing very close to her, with his arms around her and his face buried in her hair. "Josh? Can you phase back? I need you to show me everything that has happened."

He pulled himself away from Bella with an effort. "I'm not in your pack, but I can communicate with all the wolves."

"Really?"

"We are still sorting everything out," Billy said. "But the two packs can't share thoughts."

"I suppose that's actually a good thing."

Josh nodded. "Yes. I taught a few how to phase human, but new wolves are coming in all the time."

Angela was looking between them. "Mind sharing?" she asked.

"Bells?" Jake asked. He looked worried.

"Didn't you tell her that?"

He shook his head.

"Coward." She grabbed Angela's arm. "Come on, Ang. We have things to do." She glanced at Billy. She didn't offer to help him back into the house, but she made sure that she stood close enough to him so that he could put a hand around her shoulder. She looked back at Josh. "I'll see you soon."

He reached out and pressed his fingers against her lips. She kissed them. "Soon," she repeated.

Jake and Josh watched them go inside.

"You okay?" Jake asked him.

Josh was still staring at the door they had passed through. "She's important to the tribe, isn't she?"

"Yes. I think so." Jake paused. "I used to think she was more important to me."

"She still is."

"Yes, but in a different way. She's my friend. Slapped my sister, in my defense." He chuckled.

Josh sighed. "Do I want to know?"

"I can show you, if you like. You were passed out and missed a bit of drama."

"You missed a bit yourself."

"True. I could show you Bella's past, if you wanted, as well."

Josh shook his head. "No thanks, Jake. I'd rather she tell me things herself."

"Right. Fair enough." Jake jogged for the forest and Josh followed. "Black wolf, huh. You know that's Sam's color?"

"Is it?" There was a pause. "That's good… yeah. That's good."

* * *

><p>At some point in the night when everyone was arriving and the rez was chaotic with people phasing unexpectedly everywhere, Tiffany Call packed her belongings in her car and left. Nobody saw her do it. When Embry got home from the night patrolling, she was gone. It was just after dawn.<p>

He still lived with his mother but wasn't even sure why. They barely spoke. He wondered if she knew that he had been going to force her to tell him the truth today. He was done with her lies. Josh Uley was back on the rez and he thought, like everything else that seemed to be happening the second he came back, that her running had something to do with that. But now, he would never hear it from her lips. He had stared at Josh as he lay unconscious and hoped. He wasn't dead like Quil's father or around like Billy Black. That kind of betrayal he could not deal with. If Billy had known he might be his son all these years and ignored him? But Josh was the prime suspect in the rez gossip.

He stood in the kitchen and thought about how Josh had spoken to him earlier. Embry had shut his thoughts down before they strayed into the topic of fathers. But Paul was right, it was odd that Josh had talked to him.

He opened the fridge to look for some food to eat before the meeting. Hopefully she hadn't taken that.


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20 - I'll be home for Christmas**

_Disclaimer: the characters and all recognisable situations belong to Stephenie Meyer - this is a work of fan fiction, except for the legends and histories of the Quileute that, of course, belong to them. I pay my respects to their gods._

_Thanks to BanSidhe [ruadh sidhe] and Feebes86 for betaing and pre-reading._

* * *

><p>Bella and Josh were ensconced in their holiday cabin. Josh was sporting a new, short hair style and poring over charts of the gene tables and other volumes on wolf lore. Joy Ateara had delivered them along with the key to the cottage. Bella was trying to make notes for her speech to the assembled tribal members in the morning. She threw the notepad down in frustration and curled up in the bed, but she was a long way away from sleeping. Too many thoughts and fears swirling around in her brain.<p>

She kept watching Josh move around as he picked up a book here and searched for a reference in another volume.

"Go to sleep," he said without looking at her.

"I can't. You?"

"Slept for a day. Too much to do, now."

"You should be outside with them."

"I'm not leaving you."

She blinked quickly and bit her lip. She felt like crying.

To try and convince Josh that she was going to sleep, she closed her eyes, but she gave up after a few minutes. With his new wolf senses, he would know that she was faking it. After some time, she finally said, "Josh, can I ask you something?"

"You sound serious."

"Yes."

"Okay then." He put down a book of old Quil's that he was reading and gave her his full attention. She loved the way he did that. He sat on the desk chair and leaned towards her, his forearms rested on his thighs.

"Did you ever meet a woman called Tiffany? Tiffany Call?"

He got a look on his face as if that wasn't what he expected her to say. "When? It's a common enough name."

"I suppose that it would have been… umm… let me see… he's Jake's age, so it would be about twenty one years ago. No, wait, plus nine months, so say twenty two years."

"Nine months?" He frowned at her. "What are you asking, Izzy?"

She huffed out a breath. "He's one of Jake's friends. Born in 1990. He's only half Quileute and the only reason he knows that his father is Quileute is because he's a wolf. He's in Jake's pack."

Josh blinked. "Right." A pause. "What's his name?"

"Embry."

He nodded. "Is his mother still alive?"

"Yes."

"Why can't she tell him who his father is? Are they not speaking?"

"Honestly, I don't know why but she never has. I assume they still live together. He didn't say differently."

Josh frowned. He looked down at the table and absentmindedly picked up another book. "He's your friend, too. I spoke to him earlier in wolf form."

"He was on patrol. He is my friend. He is a really nice guy. One of those quiet guys who watches and always has the best solution. You know the type."

"Why do you think he is my son? You do think that, right?"

"I don't know if he is or he isn't… it's just…" She shrugged.

"Gossip?" he suggested. He gave her another serious look and then put down the book and approached the bed. She went to shift over to make room for him.

"Stay. You just made that spot warm." He clambered over her and sat with his back against the headboard and his arm around her.

"The prevailing wisdom is that it's you," she said.

"Ah… so that's what you meant."

"What? When?" She gave him an odd look.

"In our dream, you said 'you have enough sons'. I didn't know what you meant then, Sam is the only son I actually knew of."

"And you made some smart line about having daughters."

He chuckled. "In any case, you think he's mine?"

"Yes. I suppose I only know the gossip, though."

"I get blamed for a lot of things. Accused of breaking up marriages that were already broken, too. It could be any other guy from the tribe who carried this wolf gene thing."

"I know that, but he kind of reminds me of you."

"He does? How?"

"He's loyal to a fault. He's observant, very smart and he's a nice guy."

Josh smiled at her. "Flatterer. You do realize that no one else would describe me the way you do?"

"I don't care what other people think; that's how I see you."

He patted his lap.

She shifted so that she sat where he wanted her to. He pulled the blanket up to cover her back and cuddled her. She was warm enough pressed against him.

"I can't think… twenty two years ago. Wait, I wasn't even here. I'd left La Push by then."

"Tiffany isn't Quileute, she's Makah. She moved here when she became pregnant. You could have met her somewhere else."

"This is really important to you, isn't it?"

"Yes. Embry needs to know. And you need to know, too, so that you can deny it if you wanted."

Josh thought for a little while.

"Ask him if he can get an old photo of her, from around that time. I might not ever have known her name, but I never forget a face. No matter how many I have seen."

"She could have told you a different name, too."

"Of course."

"I should be upset," said Bella.

"Why? They all predate you." He paused. "And I'm not that man anymore; the man I used to be."

"You picked _me_ up in a bar," she said.

"Who picked up whom?" He poked her in the side and she chuckled.

"There's a new you, anyway; you were replaced."

"Yeah? Who's the new me? How many sons does **he** have?"

"Paul Lahote but I don't think he has any sons and as far as I know, he's probably been replaced now, too."

"Why?"

"He imprinted."

Josh made a face. "Ouch."

"Why? You don't think that's a good thing?"

"Well, imagine you are used to being free as a bird. You go where you want, sleep with who you want. Nothing and nobody ties you down-"

"Oh, okay."

Josh continued, "-and then you get tied to someone that you probably didn't choose and it is completely and utterly non-negotiable."

"Wow. It would be worse for him to be so trapped."

"Maybe. Yes. Who's the lucky girl?"

"Rachel Black. Jake's older sisters are twins, remember?"

"Crap! The chief's daughter? He's in _real_ trouble."

"Poor Paul. They fight, too."

"I have no doubt that he is seriously chafing at the bit."

"But you're happy?" She sounded doubtful.

"I am _now_ because it has taken me a very long time to be ready and willing to be bound to someone. He's still young. And your timing is clearly perfect." He frowned at her a little. "But you are so young to be bound like that to me. It's okay for me to have 'been there done that' etcetera. So, what about you? Are you happy?"

"Yes. I am not the same girl who did the runaway bride and ran from the perfect wedding."

"No. And I am glad for that. I wouldn't have met you otherwise."

They sat in silence for a while.

He kissed her gently. "Are you really sure? I am old enough to be your father."

"I'm sure." She shifted on his lap; straddled him so that she could see his face. "I have to tell you something. You have to know something about my history before the meeting."

He looked skeptical.

"I never had a boyfriend in High School in Arizona. Mom remarried and then I moved here to live with my father, Charlie. I was seventeen and had successfully avoided boys."

"I find that hard to believe."

"No. Really. Then my first day at Forks High School, I met him. And whammo."

"Love at first sight? How romantic."

She snorted. "It was! And oddly, it was love at first sight for us both. It was really odd for him because he was a little older than me. Actually, a lot older."

Josh was confused. "Was he a teacher? Did you fall for the maths teacher? Poetry? You were the English teacher's pet?"

"No." She chuckled. Her face fell and she looked serious. "Promise me you won't freak out."

"Why would I freak out?"

"Promise!"

"Okay. I won't freak."

She nodded.

Silence.

"Come on," he prompted, "Out with it."

She sighed. "He was a Cullen. _Is_ a Cullen, I suppose."

Josh froze.

She could feel his body tense under hers.

"A Cullen? You mean he's a-"

"Vampire." She whispered it.

He started to tremble.

She hugged him hard.

"I'm okay," he whispered to her. "Just stay here for a second." He hugged her back, harder.

He took some deep breaths. His hands kept moving over her body, pressing her to him until he had reduced his tremors to shivers and he had got himself back together. His voice still betrayed the strain as he carefully asked, "How old was he?"

"He was turned at seventeen, but he was one hundred and six when we met. He was there when they made the treaty with Ephraim."

"Wait a second - so when you ran from the wedding… it was _**him**_?"

She nodded her eyes lowered and her gaze hidden from his.

"You were going to marry a vampire?"

Another nod.

"When was he going to change you? I assume the vamp with a human relationship wasn't the final plan."

"After the honeymoon."

"AFTER? Oh no. Oh, no, no, no." He shifted agitatedly under her. "He would have killed you. First boyfriend? You were a virgin?"

Another nod. "So was he," she whispered.

"He **definitely** would have killed you."

"That's what Jake said," she grizzled.

"He did?"

"He was really upset about that."

"I have much more respect for Jacob Black, now."

There was silence for a few breaths.

Tentatively Bella asked, "Are you all right?"

"Let me just hold you and sit here for a little while."

"Sure," she agreed. She snuggled down and put her face against his chest. She could hear his heart beating.

"But you loved him?" he asked.

"Yes."

"A vampire?"

"Truly, madly, deeply."

Silence.

Josh broke it. "What changed?"

If she had that kind of love and walked away from it, would he be concerned that she might do the same to him? Imprint or not she owed him an explanation. She tried to think about it. "He didn't, I suppose. He hated Jake and Jake loved me, too. His becoming a wolf made it so much worse. Jake enjoyed baiting him."

"Enemies."

"Jake wanted me to choose him, not Edward. But they both loved me, enough to work through that and even to work together to protect me."

Josh clutched her tighter. "You've been in trouble before. You mentioned that. And Embry said something was tailing you tonight."

"Yes. It was a vampire. They seem to like me." She pulled away from him and lifted up the sleeve of her sleeping top to show him the scar on her wrist. "Now that you are phasing, you can probably tell what this is."

"Vampire bite." He traced it with a finger and shuddered. "Why are you alive?"

"Edward sucked the venom out."

He looked at her seriously. "You are killing me, Isabella Swan."

"I'm sorry."

He hugged her impulsively. It was too hard. She made a small squeak as if he had hurt her and he let her go a little.

"Does the tribe know all about this?"

She shook her head. "They know some. I have a lot of things to tell them, but I wanted you to know some of it first."

"Some of it?" he repeated.

She made a face.

He kissed her quickly. "But you did run, otherwise you wouldn't be here now."

"Well, maybe none of us would be here. I think this is all my fault."

Silence.

"You ran from Edward Cullen." It was a statement.

"I did. I couldn't ever really choose between him and Jake and if I chose one, the other would be distressed. Edward did a few things that I had let slide, but then he did something that I thought was very rude. He sent Jake a wedding invitation."

"Oh-ho," crowed Josh. "Before you told him, I assume."

"No, he knew we were engaged, but still, it felt wrong. I realized that Edward had made all my decisions for me. And that wasn't fair. I was going to give up everything for him; my family, my friends - especially Jake. How could I be friends with a werewolf after I married a vampire?"

"You wanted to tell Jake yourself?"

"Yes. I thought that was reasonable, but Edward didn't understand. He was very old fashioned. I couldn't have seen anyone from my old life, after I was turned. I was even giving up the family I could never have."

"That does seem reasonable… you do realize that you effectively gave all that up anyway, once you ran?"

"I had my reasons."

"Just how many secrets do you have, girl?"

"I am only telling that story once and I think the tribal council needs to hear that one, too."

"It's that bad?"

"Yes and I think it is that important."

He looked at her again. "Just how lucky am I to have you at all?"

She hid against him and didn't answer him.

"Jake still loves you," he said.

"He told me that he would always be my friend, no matter _what_ I loved."

Josh chuckled. "He said 'what'?"

"Yeah."

"Smart boy."

"Still poking at Edward; even then."

His hands reached for her face. He lifted her head so that she had to look at him and he stared intently into her eyes.

"I'm sorry," she said.

He shook his head. "No, I'm sorry… you should be sleeping and I just-"

"Need me. I know." She did know. She was straddling him and she could feel him.

He smiled at her.

She whispered to him, "I would have fucked you by the side of the road."

"And I would have happily joined you," he said. "I don't think Angela would have coped with the visual, though. Not sure Jake would have cared, they already see so much."

"We could have been making more tribal history?" she suggested.

He chuckled.

Her hands dove under the bed sheets and inside his athletic shorts to wrap around him. "God, that's hot."

He lifted an eyebrow.

"You know what I mean."

"I do, but it's hot anyway."

She smirked at him. She stroked him and his hips lifted into her hand.

He tugged at the bottom of her shirt.

She pouted. "I'll have to let you go."

He slid his palm up the underside of her arm, lifting the shirt up. She held him with one hand and pulled the other arm down. "Smart." She swapped hands while he guided her other arm out and then lifted the shirt over her head. He made a noise in the back of his throat as she worked him with both hands. His eyes closed in a long blink. "I missed you."

"I know. You told me. It was one whole day."

"I know." He kissed her. "I still missed you."

The look he gave her had echoes of their bonding; a sense of wonder.

"I am yours," she reminded him. She wasn't running away from him.

He slid his hand in the top of her panties.

She moaned as his fingers rubbed at her. She pressed against his hand. "Don't break them," she warned. "I don't have enough pairs."

"Well get them off, then."

She had to let go of him to do it. He hurriedly removed his shorts, too. She held his shoulders and climbed back astride him.

He lifted her with one arm around her body and laid her on her back on top of the comforter. She clung to his shoulders.

His hands on her thighs pushed her legs apart. He looked down at her for a beat. And licked his lips. "You smell amazing."

"Yeah?"

He sniffed appreciatively. "One day, when we have the time… I will splay you out and taste every inch of your skin."

"Every inch?"

"Yep. I want to taste you now." He dropped his face down and licked at her.

"Oh… I can't wait for that day." Her feet rose to push against the headboard. "Oooh… yes."

His hands lifted her and he shifted her further down the bed, before resuming licking at her. Broad flat strokes. He nibbled at her and she writhed. Her hands reached for his head and she let out a whine.

He stopped and lifted his head. "What's the matter?"

"No hair."

He grinned at her. "I promise I will grow it long again, one day… just for you."

"I like long… oh."

He had inserted two fingers inside her; curled them and pressed them against the back of her clitoris - her G spot. Her mouth dropped open and she panted. Still watching her, he put his other hand down and rubbed his thumb across her clitoris. She tried to keep looking at him, maintaining eye contact until her body started to shudder. She curled up towards him and then as she orgasmed she threw her head backwards and cried out. He kept stroking her as her legs thrashed and her back arched. When she had fallen flat on the mattress again, her hands reached for him.

"Please," she begged. She grabbed at his body, scratching him with her nails and trying to pull him closer.

"So eager," he whispered to her.

He worked his way into her and then moved to long, solid strokes that slapped against her. He didn't kiss her. He stayed above her, watching every facial movement and emotion that passed across her face. He lifted himself off her, withdrawing from her a touch. His hand grabbed her at the hip bone, holding her in place and keeping her steady as he slid back in. He held her and he pushed into her. He did it again. And again.

She was panting, breathing heavily and making small noises of pleasure.

He sank into her. "Look at you… you're so alive."

"I know… I'm alive…" And then she blinked quickly and put the back of her hand across her mouth.

He slammed into her and stayed there as he groaned and finished inside her. He realized quickly that she was losing it and not in a good way. His arms wrapped around her and pushed her face into his neck.

"Shhh… I shouldn't have said that." He kissed her forehead.

Fighting back the tears, she clung to him. "What if I was dead? I'd never have met you."

"But you're not. And you're here. Now get back under the covers. You stay warm."

He helped her do that and he tucked the blankets around her.

"Hold me, Josh."

"Sure."

He knew she was worried about the events of the day and the meeting in the morning. He stroked her hair and kept pressing his lips against her until she finally fell asleep. He waited until her breathing was even and then he got out of bed and kept reading. He had work to do, too.


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21 - I'll be home for Christmas**

_Disclaimer: the characters and all recognisable situations belong to Stephenie Meyer - this is a work of fan fiction, except for the legends and histories of the Quileute that, of course, belong to them. I pay my respects to their gods._

_Thanks to BanSidhe [ruadh sidhe] and Feebes86 for betaing and pre-reading._

* * *

><p>[AN: yay we got through 20 chapters of the longest day EVER! It was like a season of 24. Now we get the longest meeting… ever.<p>

Again, I am stuck with blanks in the family trees. So I have assumed that blank means no kids. It probably shouldn't but it suits my purposes.]

* * *

><p>The tribal meeting hall was slowly filling up. People looked tired; a lot of them had been up all night. Remarkably, no one was in wolf form. There were also a few people who were not wolves, but were imprints, parents or grandparents of them. Everyone there had something to do with the pack; some link. Charlie Swan sat with Sue after telling Bella that they needed to talk.<p>

Bella had scribbled down some notes last night. She had eventually fallen asleep after she and Josh had sex, but she suspected Josh had kept reading. They were both exhausted from the emotional turmoil of that endless day. She thought he looked better than she did. Maybe phasing allowed them to go without sleep or rest? But she was human and was dreading this.

She watched the hall fill up. Sue Clearwater asked people to sit with members of their families. When people asked why, she said it made it easier to demonstrate something. A few were intermarried; Rachel and Paul for instance linked the Blacks and the Uley families. The Clearwaters and Lahotes sat with the Uley group, along with Sam and Emily. Allison Uley was absent; probably babysitting, Bella thought.

She noticed a few more people sneak in and sit up the back. They were a group of interested tribal members who didn't fit in any of the family groups. There were less than four hundred people living on the rez now and nobody was going to toss someone out if they weren't a wolf. The secret was now a tribal one, not just a pack matter.

Jared and Kim sat with the Blacks. Collin and his parents were there, as well as some older women she assumed were Billy's sisters.

Jake brought over Josh's duffel bag. "In all the fuss last night, this ended up at our place."

Josh took it from him and dropped it on the floor near his chair. "Thanks, Jake. I had forgotten about it as well."

Bella was still looking at him when he sat down again.

"What?" he asked her.

"I'm still getting used to the short hair." She leaned across to play with the short strands at the nape of his neck.

He hummed happily. "Keep doing that and we'll be sneaking out the back."

"Oh, I could… you know."

He smiled at her. "It will be all right."

"Look at everyone. They aren't coping; it's too much. They've had no sleep. They won't like what we have to say."

He shrugged. "Regardless, we have to say it."

Billy tried to call the meeting to order. He was still sitting in his wheelchair but rather than being up on the stage he was positioned in front of the people. There was another interruption when Michael Clearwater walked in, Harry's older brother. Sue hugged him and he shook hands with Seth. He sat next to Leah adding another number to the Uley group.

The Ateara family group was very sparse. Just Old Quil and Quil. Then she saw Brady sit with them, as well. His father joined them later with a woman who had the same half shell shocked look that Bella had noticed on a few faces. Things were changing too fast for people to cope with it. She thought the poor woman had seen her husband turn into a wolf and then found out her son had been doing it for years.

Embry came in alone. "Where's your mother?" Quil asked him.

"Gone."

"Gone? What do you mean?" Quil asked.

"She just packed while we were out on patrol. Car's gone and all her stuff."

"Bitch." Quil went back to sit with his grandfather after thumping Embry in the shoulder.

Embry stood with his back against the back wall. Bella suspected that he didn't know which family group to join.

Paul kept looking up the aisle and Bella was unsurprised when a tall man swaggered in with a stride and a confidence so like Paul's, that she knew exactly who he was. And where he chose to sit.

Paul and Rachel were still arguing and had sat apart with an empty chair between them. The man stood in the aisle and looked down at them. Paul had his arms folded.

"That's Niki Lahote," Josh told Bella.

"I knew it. Paul's father."

Niki leaned over to brush a hand over Rachel's head and then pushed Paul in the shoulder. He glared at him and muttered something, but Niki ignored him, said nothing and shoved him again in the head this time until Paul had moved over to sit next to Rachel. Niki took the aisle seat.

Joy Ateara came running in the back door of the meeting hall, breathless and chattering, "Sorry I'm late… I just put my head down on the kitchen table for second and the next thing I knew it was time for the meeting-" She hit a wet patch, either from someone's shoes or raincoat, she slipped and started to fall. Niki moved with that impossible speed the pack all had, and caught her before she hit the floor. Joy was so flustered and so off balance that she kept thanking him and making a scene without really looking at him.

Niki was just looking down at her and still holding onto her.

"I have to get to my seat," she told him, when he wasn't letting her go.

"Your seat is here," he said. He said it so firmly that she just gaped at him.

"Here?"

"With me."

"Pardon?"

"Paul, shove over."

"What?" Paul stopped slouching and looked up at his father. "Oh, for fuck's sake! You imprinted on Quil's mom!"

"What?" said Quil from the other side of the hall. He stood so he could see what was going on.

Paul and Rachel shuffled over one chair.

Niki waved to the empty chair. "Joy, you sit here, unless you want to sit on my lap."

"Ah…oh… I don't know," Joy said. But she went to sit down next to Paul.

Niki frowned at Paul suddenly and grabbed her by the arm.

Paul threw up his hands. "Oh, for crying out loud. I won't touch her. Don't look at me like that."

Niki held Joy back and sat down next to Paul so that Joy was in the aisle seat and away from Paul.

Rachel grinned at Leah and then lost it and snorted.

"Don't you start," Paul warned her.

She flung her arms around his neck. "I love you, you grumpy wolf. I panicked. Becca is my twin. But I'd never leave you. I'm so sorry you thought that was what I meant and I shouldn't have called you insane."

He buried his face in her neck. "Good," he grunted. "If you left me, I'd go too. Deal?"

"Deal."

Quil was still protesting that his mother ought to sit with him. Sam told him to be quiet and sit down.

"Paul's dad!" Quil protested.

Bella thought Embry just looked defeated by more imprinting. She bumped Josh with her elbow. "That's Embry. I heard him say his mother left. So now he may never know about… you know."

Josh looked at him. Then he stood and walked over to him. Clearly but not over loudly, he said, "You need to sit with us, Embry." He indicated where the Uley clan sat with Sam, Lucas and all the others.

"Did Bells tell you to say that?" Embry looked suspicious.

"No. You should sit with the Uleys because you're my son."

Embry stared at him. And then he seemed to stand straighter but he didn't say anything. He looked as if he didn't believe it was happening. His lip wobbled just the smallest bit.

Josh continued, "I haven't seen your mother or a photo of her, but I don't need to. That first time, when I phased. I sent out my awareness looking for Sam; looking for my son… and I found _you_. Other wolves were phased. I didn't find them."

"Told ya," grunted Paul.

"With your mother gone, I would be proud for you to sit with us." Josh put his arm around Embry and walked him over to the Uley group. Bella reached out and grabbed his hand and made him sit next to her. "Are you okay?" she asked him.

"I-I think so." Embry kept watching Josh after that as if he could not take his eyes off him.

Leah bit her lip and leaned into her Uncle Michael.

Seth held a thumb up to Bella when she glanced at him. He seemed unaffected by all the imprinting and being left out of it; just interested in what was going on.

As the appointed meeting time passed, more and more people just walked in and sit down with family. They made quiet welcomes, exchanged hugs, hands were shaken and few words spoken. Everyone seemed to understand the gravity of the situation.

Billy tried to call it to order again, but in the end it was Old Quil who stood and just held up his hand.

Silence fell.

Billy nodded at the old man and spoke, "Good morning to familiar faces and long absent ones. I think all of you understand that our world is changing." He took a breath. "We have no time for flowery speeches. You all know our history as it is passed down in the songs and stories of our tribe. Some of you have only recently become aware just how true those stories are. Something has made people return. It has brought all of us here to this place at this particular time. In the past, in our stories, we had the ability to transform into wolves and that ability returns to our descendants when it is needed to fight cold ones. Cold ones the rest of the world knows as _vampires_."

There was a stunned silence from the audience.

He looked over the people. "We have asked you to sit in family groups because our research shows that this ability is carried as a gene in our bloodlines; those of the Ateara, Black and Uley families. Those three made up the last wolf pack in the 1930's. A pack was needed five years ago and it is needed again today. Then, we tried to keep it a secret, now it is no longer possible. Five years ago our youngest members to transform were only thirteen years old. It was too young." His eyes fell on Brady. "It was too much to ask people so young to shoulder such a weight. They did it, they fought the cold ones and most people were completely unaware of it. Some of the pack was also seriously hurt." He looked at Jake.

Old Quil stood. "Our young grow up too fast. It is our burden. The cold ones no longer live near our lands and yet we still change. It is clear that the Gods want our help."

A number of people muttered and spoke.

"How does this family thing work-"

"We haven't seen this-"

"How can we be sure."

Josh stood. "Show me those gene tables," he said. He hung the tables up on a white board at the side of the hall. "See these symbols? A diamond for the Blacks, a triangle for the Atearas and a square for the Uleys? Every person here who has assumed the wolf form carries at least one gene."

People made noises of agreement.

"Stand up if you are here, as I call your name out," Josh said.

"This is the original pack of ten: Sam, Jared, Paul, Embry, Jake, Leah, Seth, Quil, Brady, and Collin." They all stood. "People who didn't change when they did five years ago, but are in their age bracket, and have changed now is only Rachel Black. Her sister, made a difficult choice… she chose her new family." He smiled at Embry. "Thank you."

They resumed their seats.

Old Quil spoke, "There is no one else. The families that carry the genes, no longer have enough young people to change or the children they have are too young." He looked over the family groups. "I only had one son," he said. "I regret that. And _he_ only had one son. And that son was bonded to a child until recently. How many of us only had one child? How many of us had _no_ children?"

The whole pack was made up of only children when Bella thought about it, except Jake and the Clearwaters. She could see people's heads nodding.

Old Quil continued, "Our numbers decrease. The gods are trying to fix this. I will never see my great grandchildren. The pack looked for mates outside of the tribe," he nodded at Sam, whose mate was Makah not Quileute, "to no avail. Now they seek to shock us into action. The tribe is dying out. How many of us are there now? Less than four hundred people live within the tribal lands."

Josh answered him, "Not enough for the God's purposes. So over the last few days, other people have been asked to help. They have had aching bones, their nights are filled with dreams of wolves and they dream of their home; enough to drive them to come here. They have had high fevers and odd, angry rages at nothing… and then they too, have changed into wolves. I did it myself yesterday along with some others. Maybe you won't all change, but if you have those symptoms and you haven't turned furry yet, I'd say it's just a matter of time."

"I got the dreams but I don't know about the rest of it," Michael Clearwater said.

"It could have an upper age limit," Josh said.

"Joy and I thought there were at least sixteen candidates," Charlie said.

"There's your pack… there are your extra wolves," Josh said with a wave at the audience.

"They aren't wolves," Kim argued. "They can't be - they're too old."

"Too old? They aren't even fifty," Josh said. "Half of them are younger than that. How old are you, Adam?"

Brady's father answered, "I'm thirty-eight."

"We've seen them change, Kim," Jared said.

Bella wondered if it was the loss of status Kim was worried about; the more wolves there were, the less special it was to be imprinted on one.

"These wolves aren't children," someone said.

"Who said this was a children's war?"

"Who said it was a war?"

"Why should we help?"

"The gods believe we need as many wolves as we can muster," Billy said. "And we help because it is _**what we do**_."

"What about you, Billy?" someone asked.

Billy had been in a wheelchair when he entered, now he stood up and pushed it away. "I am not one hundred percent, but I feel better every day. This is a miracle that cannot be explained in medical terms."

"Something is coming," Old Quil said, "Something the gods are trying to prepare us for. The gods have healed our leader, our chief - ask yourself why? When his son is fit, strong, willing and able to be chief? Why do the gods believe we need the wisdom of William Black? And not just in his sick bed or in his wheelchair - the gods want him on the field of battle."

That was her cue. Bella stood. "Because what is coming, the thing that is threatening you all… is just _that_ powerful."


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22 - I'll be home for Christmas**

_Disclaimer: the characters and all recognisable situations belong to Stephenie Meyer - this is a work of fan fiction, except for the legends and histories of the Quileute that, of course, belong to them. I pay my respects to their gods._

_Thanks to BanSidhe [ruadh sidhe] and Feebes86 for betaing and pre-reading._

* * *

><p>Bella stood nervously, in front of the hall of seated visitors. She held a bottle of water in her hands. She hoped it would stop her waving them around. She could see her father. She was sick of lying to him and now he and Sue were together, he needed to know everything.<p>

"Some of you may know parts of this story, but others need to know all of it. I have run and hid and kept so many secrets for so long that I have almost lost myself under the weight of them all. I have destroyed my life, lost my friends and my family to try and keep everyone safe." She inhaled. "And it doesn't seem to have worked. The last few weeks have been very odd, even for me, and the last few days odder still. Things happen that shouldn't and people are where they shouldn't be for no reason other than they felt like they should be there. It has happened over and over and I cannot explain the coincidences away any more.

"Tonight we have seen people come home after years… simply because their dreams told them to. I don't have an explanation."

She paused.

"A long time ago, Billy Black told me that the tribe knew when trouble was coming. I think that trouble is even closer now."

She twisted her hands together nervously. "I-I am not very good at telling legends, like some others, mostly because this is a story that is so secret that sharing it with you condemns you all to death."

One of the younger members snorted derisively.

Bella looked at them but couldn't see who it was.

Sam glared at Collin and his head dropped.

"It sounds crazy, I know that. And maybe I am crazy, but for five years, I have kept moving; staying away from friends and family; not letting anyone get close to me. I couldn't go to college or stay anywhere permanently, _**because**_ I know this secret."

"Start at the beginning, Bella," Billy suggested quietly.

She nodded. "Right. Good idea."

She took another breath and ran her hand through her hair nervously.

"Some of you may know that I dated Edward Cullen in High School. We were engaged to be married and I called it off. It was a really big decision to make, because I not only canceled my wedding, but I broke a promise to someone else. What some of you may not know is that Edward is a vampire, a cold one as you call them. Like the rest of his family."

The room was suddenly filled with small noises and movements.

Aware that many of them were new wolves Billy ordered, "Nobody phases. You need to keep calm!" It had an alpha order weight even though he hadn't phased yet. He glanced at Jake.

"My pack should be fine."

Charlie looked stressed. "I knew there was something weird about that family."

"Edward was here and present at the treaty signing in 1936 when the Cullens made an agreement with the tribal chief at the time, Ephraim Black and the leader of the last wolf pack. They moved on but had recently come back to this area when I moved here. I met him and we fell in love." She shifted slightly on her feet.

"I seem to be very attractive to supernatural creatures." She laughed nervously. It sounded too high and too forced. No one laughed with her. Josh twitched in his seat.

"His family were not like other vampires; they had a different philosophy and only fed from animals, rather than humans. I was with the Cullens when we met three nomadic vampires. They did not follow the animal diet. They were just passing through, but one, an accomplished tracker, decided that hunting _me_ while the Cullens tried to protect me, would be the ultimate thrill. He chased me to Arizona and tortured me before the Cullens killed him."

"The dance studio fire," said Charlie. "You broke your leg and lost a lot of blood."

"Yes," Bella agreed. "I had left town to try and protect my father and my friends. I hoped that he would chase me and leave the people I loved alone. It worked, but it cost me dearly. I picked an argument with my father and said hateful things to him that he didn't deserve. I snuck away from my vampire guards because the tracker told me that he had my mother hostage. He lied. I was severely injured and spent weeks in hospital. I was lucky to be alive; not because of the blood loss, but because the tracker bit me."

She pulled up her sleeve and exposed the crescent shaped scar on the inside of her wrist. She held it up nervously. "Edward sucked out the venom otherwise I would have been changed into a vampire.

"I recovered and went back to school, but Edward worried about the whole incident. He wanted me to stay human. After an accident in which I spilled some blood, a member of his family attacked me. Edward decided that he and his family endangered me. He loved me enough to leave me; he made up an excuse, told me he didn't love me and moved his whole family away. I was pretty upset about that, but I understand why the tribe would be happy. I know that you lit bonfires on the cliffs the night they left."

Small murmurs broke out as people remembered the night of the bonfires.

"And you got lost in the forest," said Jared quietly.

"Yes. The pack helped find me." She nodded at Sam, Paul and Jared. "You three saved my life.

She sighed. "But things didn't really change. It didn't matter that he wasn't around anymore, I was still in some danger. The tracker's partner blamed me for his death. She was grief crazed. She asked the third nomad to come here and check on me. He did so, but ran into the pack." She pressed her lips together for a beat and then spoke again, "Lucky for me because I was hiking alone when he met me in the forest. He had just decided to kill me when the pack showed up. They saved my life again that day."

Charlie had his head in his hands. "You said you saw giant wolves," he muttered.

Josh looked angry.

"Victoria, the crazy mate, would not let me go. She came looking herself and found the wolf pack. She had a gift that enabled her to avoid capture and the pack were unable to take her out, no matter how hard they tried. But they did stop her getting to _me_. So she changed her tactics. She settled in Seattle and came up with a plan. She would make new vampires to help her."

"Oh, my God," said Charlie. "The murders in Seattle."

Bella looked white. "Yes. All those people. Dead. Either to help her or to feed her followers. All because of me."

"I see," said Charlie.

"It took her some time to plan all this. During that time, I did something very stupid." She looked at Josh.

He looked concerned for her.

She smiled weakly at him and took another deep breath. "I threw myself off a cliff and I nearly drowned."

Josh frowned; Charlie looked thunderous and Jake looked almost wistful.

"Jake saved me," she added.

"That was awesome," Seth said. "He had to phase to human underwater to pull you out. Nobody else could have done it."

Josh looked at Jake.

"And here," said Bella, "I have to break the first of my secrets…"

Jake gave her an irritated look.

"I know I have told the pack before, but I still feel disloyal. The Cullens have special abilities. In fact, a lot of vampires do. It seems that whatever skill you possess as a human becomes amplified once you are turned. Edward was evidently a perceptive man, so as a vampire, he could read minds."

There were a few mumbles and mutterings amongst the audience.

"His sister, Alice could see the future. It was not a perfect skill; the future changed when people changed their minds or made different decisions. But if someone was very set on something, Alice could see when and how it would happen. She was my friend and she tried to keep an eye on my future without interfering. She had promised Edward that she would leave me alone." She paused. "Alice saw me throw myself from the cliff. She also saw that I had no future. It went black. She thought I was dead. But, she knew her visions were not completely accurate so she traveled here to check on me.

"She arrived just as Jake drove me home. She was very pleased to see that I was not dead, but couldn't understand why her visions were black. She worked out that it was Jake being a wolf that blocked her. Unfortunately, there was a misunderstanding in the Cullen family and another family member told Edward that I was dead."

She stopped again. She took a sip from her glass of water.

"Like Alice, he phoned my house to check-"

"I have asked myself that a million times," Jake interrupted. "Played that scene over and over… why did I answer that phone?"

"It wasn't your fault, Jake," Bella said. "He didn't use his own voice, he copied Carlisle. Another skill that vampires possess. I didn't answer it, either. I've asked myself the same thing; why did I **let** you answer the phone in _my_ house? Why didn't I say anything in the background? He would have heard me."

"On that day of all days," Jake complained.

"That day?" Charlie asked.

"It was the day that Harry Clearwater died," Bella explained. "So when Edward asked to speak to you, Jake told him you were arranging a funeral."

There was a heavy silence as everyone processed that.

"He thought it was your funeral?" asked Josh.

"Yes."

She took another sip of water.

"He still loved me; he had left me alone so that I was safe and he went a little crazy. He decided to kill himself. But, that is not easy for an immortal being to do. Edward's father Carlisle, is very old. He was born in 1640. Carlisle had hunted creatures of the supernatural before being bitten and was so horrified by what he had become that he tried to kill himself. He failed, but Edward knew what he had attempted."

"We could have killed him," growled Paul.

"Yes, but he didn't know the pack existed again. In any case, he set his mind on one path."

"A path that Alice could see," Josh guessed.

"Yes. She can see very clearly, the futures of her family and the people she loves. Carlisle had also told Edward of a group of vampires." She nervously wrung her hands together. "This is the big secret," she muttered. "They are called the Volturi. They live in Italy in a medieval town called Volterra."

She stopped and waited as if she expected to be struck down for just saying it. When she wasn't, she continued, "Carlisle lived with them for some decades before coming to the New World. They consider themselves vampire royalty. As such, they make the rules. The biggest rule is secrecy. If the world knew of vampires, they would be hunted. All newborn vampires must be trained properly and taught to keep the secret that vampires exist or the Volturi will execute both the newborn and their maker. Vampires must move frequently, hunt carefully and behave so as to keep it a secret."

"What about crazy Victoria in Seattle?" asked Jared. "They should have stopped that."

"Exactly. They must have known of her. I think they wanted the Cullens to deal with her. They don't like the Cullens. They fear them because they are a large family unit whose members have skills rivaling theirs."

"How do you know that?" asked Josh.

"Because I met them."

"Jesus," he said. His arms were held tightly across his body as if he was holding himself together; stopping the phase.

"Edward decided that the fastest way to kill himself was to ask the Volturi to do it for him."

"Yay," cheered someone.

"They refused. They wanted him to join them instead. His power would be useful to them. He refused. In the meantime Alice and I were rushing to Italy to try and stop him. Alice knew he would not believe her if she told him I was still alive; he needed to see me for himself."

"Why did you go?" asked Sue.

"I still loved him." Bella stared at the floor. "Even though he had left me, I still loved him."

"That's where you went when you disappeared for three days," Charlie said. "You just told me it was all fixed and refused to say where you had been. And you came back with him."

"I know and I am sorry. That was a horrible thing to lie about to my father."

Charlie nodded.

"The Volturi gave him some time to think it over. He refused to join them. He decided, because Alice could see him do it, to expose the vampire secret _**in**_ Volterra. He chose midday of a festival day when the squares would be full of people and the Volturi would have no choice but to execute him quickly without a trial."

"Jerk," said Paul. "They would have killed all the people in the square as well, if any of them saw him sparkling like a disco ball."

Bella looked nonplussed. "I hadn't thought of that," she said. "But, yes, they would have. **All** of them." She shook her head. "In any case, I got there just in time and stopped him."

"But," prompted Seth.

"We did not get away cleanly. Alice, Edward and I were asked to go to a private audience with the heads of the Volturi. There are three leaders; all male."

"Typical," snorted Leah.

"And only two remaining wives, who are usually kept hidden to be safe," continued Bella. "They threatened us, tortured Edward and eventually let us go. They wanted to execute me. I was a human who knew their secret. The law was very strict. Alice showed Aro, their leader, a future in which I was a vampire. She and Edward promised that this would happen."

Josh stood suddenly and moved to stand behind Bella on the floor. He put his arms around her. She put her hands over his arms and held them to her. They both breathed carefully.

"Because, at that time, you did want to be a vampire?" Josh checked.

"Yes," she whispered.

Old Quil spoke, "Tell us of these leaders. Describe them. They are our enemies. We need to know more."

"I am afraid that I do not know much about their gifts and their histories; it is Carlisle that you need to ask about that. I do know that they are thousands of years old."

"Shit!" said Quil. "Thousands?"

"They have controlled all vampires for a very long time, I am not sure how long but no one rebels against them and survives. Carlisle was their friend, but even he is skirting near the edge. Aro has an ability like Edward's. Also, unlike Edward, he is capable of reading every thought, feeling and memory a person has ever had."

"That's nuts! His head would explode!" Brady commented.

"I wish," Bella said. "He came close to me and I had this weird desire to touch him; his skin was so old that it looked powdery rather than hard like the younger vampires."

"He touched you?" Josh asked. "Why?"

"He has to touch you for his gift to work. He was especially interested in me."

"Why?" Josh asked.

"Because I seem to have a power of my own. Edward was intrigued by me initially because he could not read my mind. Aro touched me to test it and he could not do it, either. I can block them out somehow. I can block the most powerful vampires on this earth."

"Wait a second," said Jake. "You said you brought your gifts and abilities with you when you became a vampire."

"Yes, so if I had become a vampire, I suppose that I would be the only one in the world who could block the Volturi and my gifts might be stronger as a vampire."

"Wow," said Seth.

"And Dad has it, too, though not as strong," she added.

"I do?" Charlie looked gob smacked. "Just as well Edward couldn't read my mind," he muttered under his breath.

"Swan minds," Josh said to Old Quil. "That was what you meant." His gaze fell on Quil V. "So does Quil have it?"

"Me? Oh, from Grandma. Dunno." But he looked pleased by the thought.

"So he wanted you to join him; he didn't want to kill you," said Sam, ever the strategist.

"Right. That's why he let me go, I think. It suited him to do so, and he influences the others."

"But you can do this **now**, as a human," Josh said. "That makes you dangerous to them _now_."

"And I am not a vampire," Bella said. "That was the promise; the one that the Cullens and I broke."

"You said they tortured Edward," Seth said.

"Jane is one of the guards. Her power affects the mind. She can trick you into thinking you are in the most excruciating pain; as if you were being burnt alive. Her twin Alec, can cut off your senses; all of them and leave you deaf, dumb and blind. That was after an enormous guy threw Edward into the floor hard enough to crack his face. Felix, I think his name was. He's as big as Jacob and known for his strength; even amongst vampires."

"Bet he's not as hot," said Jake. There were a few strained chuckles.

Jake looked at Bella. "But it didn't work on you, did it Bells?"

"No, Jane tried to hurt me but it didn't work and she was utterly furious."

"So what happened about Seattle?" Charlie asked. "We haven't heard that bit yet."

"It was just after my graduation five years ago. The pack had worked incredibly hard to keep me safe, but in the end they combined with the Cullens. Alice knew when and where the newborns would arrive and we prepared."

"And we practiced," said Jared. "Remember Jasper's training sessions?"

"Oh, yeah," agreed Paul. "How to kill a newborn vamp 101."

Charlie was looking perplexed and a little alarmed. He frowned as if he was thinking. "Jake got hurt," he said. "Billy took me fishing."

Jake nodded. "A newborn hugged me; broke every bone in half my body."

Leah stared at the floor. Seth patted her shoulder and whispered something in her ear.

"No wonder you were cussing up a storm. How on earth did you heal that?" Charlie looked astonished.

"That's the wonder of being a wolf, Charlie," Jake replied. "I even had to pretend to use crutches for weeks afterward when you were around."

"Gah," said Bella. "The first time he told me he was a wolf; he wanted to cut his hand open to show me how fast it would heal."

"Yeah, we all did that," said Jared.

There were a few chuckles from others who had clearly tried the same thing.

"So you beat this… what do you call it?" Charlie asked.

"Newborn army?" Bella suggested. "Yes, we did. Together."

"Who took out the crazy lady?" Charlie asked.

Seth stood up and took a bow. There was much applause. "With Edward's help and Bella's."

"Bella's?" Charlie asked. "She was THERE?"

"Yeah," said Seth. "She did the third wife thing and gashed her arm open. Victoria was so distracted that Edward and I could take care of her and her eagle scout assistant, Riley."

"Goddammit, girl," said Josh.

"Oh, that's Bells all over, Josh," Jake said. "Always with the self sacrificing gestures. Meeting the vamp in the ballet studio alone-"

"Shut up, Jake!" Bella hissed at him.

"I am starting to get an idea of this," Josh said. He kissed the side of her head. "Keep talking," he suggested.

"After that, the wolves had to hide because Jane, Alec, Felix and Demetri arrived. Alice knew they were coming, of course. There was a newborn who survived the battle; a young girl called Bree. The Cullens offered her sanctuary but the Volturi executed her. She managed to pass to Edward everything she could think of before they did it. She was pretty smart to work out that he was a mind reader and she was a survivor. I felt so sorry for her. She told Edward that she had been homeless when she was turned, so she didn't really have a choice. Bree told us that the Volturi knew of Victoria's plan and didn't stop it, because they hoped that she would wipe out the Cullens."

"Or maybe," Sam put in, "Kill enough of them to make them go to the Volturi? They collect people with gifts, right?"

Bella shook her head. "Carlisle is very strong on his animal diet. I don't think any of the Cullens would agree to join the Volturi; they'd die first."

"Even then, they'd be removed as a threat," Paul pointed out.

"True," Jake agreed. "I hate vampires, but Dr Fang fixed me up more than once. His brand of vampirism would upset the bad guys. He's just so nice." Jake made it sound like a disease.

"But one thing the Guard did promise, was to come back and check on my mortality," Bella added.

"Ahh," said Charlie. "So you think they are coming back now. But that was five years ago!"

"What is five years to a creature that may be three thousand years old?" Billy said.

"Fair point." Charlie stood suddenly. "Jeez, Bells, You mean all this running and hiding and avoiding everyone was your way to try to hide from these guys on your own?"

"Self sacrifice," muttered Jake. "See!"

"Well, what else could I do?" she wailed. "My gift hides me from their best tracker, Demetri, but only if I am alone. He can follow minds, rather than scents. He can find anyone anywhere."

"You don't have the resources or the money to hide properly."

"I know that! But I had to try." She looked suddenly distressed. "You don't understand, Dad. They'll kill you and they'd kill all the Quileute."

"They might now, that you told them this secret."

"No, Dad. They would have killed them all _**anyway**_. One of the three leaders hates werewolves. Caius has made it his life-long aim to wipe werewolves from the earth. It doesn't matter to him that the tribe are shape shifters and not true werewolves. He will hunt down every single person who even carries the wolf gene. He'll wipe out the **whole tribe.**" Her voice caught, "And it's all my fault! I brought them here." She turned and buried her face in Josh's chest.

The audience shifted agitatedly at the thought that Bella had brought down this enemy upon them.

A voice cut through the noise. "It wasn't _you_," said Quil. "It was Edward. If he had come up with a better way to kill himself, they would never even have known about us. Dumbass."

"What have the Cullens told them?" Billy asked. "Have they tried to say you are dead? Or left Edward after you were turned?"

Bella wiped her face with her hand. "I don't know. But the other leader, Marcus, he reads the strength of relationships. Edward told me he can pick who the leader is, which person to remove from a battle to turn the tide, he can see when loyalties waver and who would die for another. He was surprised by the intensity of the relationship between Edward and me."

"And you gave him up for me," said Jake quietly.

"And for me. It was too intense. Too much to choose between you."

"You told me you chose him."

"I did. But I still loved you, Jake. If I had really loved him that much, I would never have fallen in love with you in the first place."

"And I ran away like a baby."

Jake and Josh exchanged a look that Bella couldn't begin to understand. Josh nodded as if to say that he understood. Angela held Jake's hand.

Billy cleared his throat. "So first, we need to contact Carlisle Cullen and find out what information he is willing to tell us, if he has heard from the Volturi, what he has already told the Volturi and what he will do to help us, if anything."

Old Quil stood. "The signs are here. I fear they are coming here, regardless. We have more wolves than ever; the gods are telling us we will have a battle."

"It would be good if we knew _when_," Embry said. "Can Alice help there?"

"Not if the wolves are involved," Bella replied. "You guys make her visions go black."

"I know," said Josh quietly.

Everyone looked at him.

"I have dreamed it."


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23 - I'll be home for Christmas**

_Disclaimer: the characters and all recognisable situations belong to Stephenie Meyer - this is a work of fan fiction, except for the legends and histories of the Quileute that, of course, belong to them. I pay my respects to their gods._

_Thanks to BanSidhe [ruadh sidhe] and Feebes86 for betaing and pre-reading._

* * *

><p>[AN: someone made a comment about the word Christmas being in the title. The original one shot was written for a Christmas writing competition but didn't qualify. The title is a Christmas song and it wasn't until chapters later when I had made Josh and Bella's dreams important that I realized the next line of the song is: 'if only in my dreams'. Weird, huh?]<p>

* * *

><p>"You? Why would we trust you?" someone asked Josh.<p>

"This guy is a loser - why would we believe him?" one person asked.

"How do we know that he is what he says he is?" another person asked.

There was a lot of muttering and whispered words.

"How many have come back?"

"Josh came back."

"He helped me last night."

"He's one we are not even sure we want."

Bella thought about what Josh had said that she was the only person who saw him the way she did. His old history had tarred him.

"How can he prove himself?" Old Quil asked.

Jake walked over and picked up the duffel bag he had given Josh earlier. He handed it to Old Quil. "Josh asked Bells to get this from Seattle for him. It has been in my home overnight, he has not touched it." He looked out at the audience. "Do you trust me?"

Heads nodded.

Josh and Bella still stood out the front.

"Are you okay with this?" she asked him. "They can't go through your things."

"I have nothing to hide."

Old Quil unzipped it and started to go through it. He pulled out a bunch of sage tied with jute twine.

"Bunch of sage, yeah right. We all know about sage and cedar," someone said.

Next, the old man produced an abalone shell.

"Humph they sell those things in the shops."

When he pulled out the wing of feathers; the smudger, there was silence. By the time he pulled out the drum and the rest of the stuff the old man's hands were shaking a little. All the items he had taken from the bag were the tools of a shaman.

"Last night," Old Quil said, "I opened my door to find a black wolf sitting there. It was Josh. We spoke. I thanked the gods, for sending a replacement for me."

"What? Dude," Quil said. "You're not dying?"

"How would you know?" He asked it more as an actual query of Quil's abilities than as a question. "You show no interest and no aptitude in what I do, grandson."

"No," said Quil honestly. "And I've tried - you know I've tried. I just can't do it."

"I blame myself; I did not see Josh before when he needed my guidance. I was so sure my son would be my heir I didn't see what was in front of me. I fear that Josh trod some bad paths trying to deal with things without that guidance."

Old Quil turned to Josh and Bella. "Josh, if I may ask Bella some questions so that others can understand. Do you allow her to answer for you?"

"I have known her for days, but yes. I trust her."

The old man asked Bella, "He's a shaman, does he know it?"

"He interpreted my dreams."

"Ah… that makes sense."

"He said he used to do it a lot for others. And he helped Billy at a cost to himself." She nodded at Sam. "Sam saw that, too."

"Does he still drink?"

"No - not anymore. We met in a bar, but he wasn't drinking alcohol. He did that thing where ex drinkers ask for a spirit glass for their soft drink. They fit in better. There is no alcohol in his home."

Josh hugged her. She wasn't sure if it was encouragement but she took it as such.

"Drugs?" someone else asked.

"No." Bella shook her head. "I don't think so. He has learned from his mistakes."

The old man made a humph noise. "Moderation… this is good. Does he take care of self?"

"Ah… I'm not sure what you want me to say … he looks pretty good to me for his age. He works out; he's a model."

"A model?" Sam asked.

"And he has some small movie parts," she added.

Sam looked astonished.

Emily elbowed him. "I _told_ you that guy looked like that photo of him," she hissed.

"His home? You have seen it?"

"Yes and Jake and Angela saw it, too."

Jake answered, "It is clean, well looked after and full of Native American things."

"Ah. He listens to his inner guide?"

Bella frowned. "I guess… he brought me here. I had a dream about the beach… and wolves," she added. "He brought me here, which as it turned out - and I had _never_ told him - was the exact place I was dreaming of. He brought me here just as the sun rose. I could not see where he was taking me. It came as quite a shock." She paused. "I don't understand these questions."

"These are signs that a shaman lives life in the correct way."

"Oh… okay."

"You have had other dreams?"

She took a breath. "I used to dream a lot. It has taken me a long time to understand them. I guessed the tribal secret after having a dream in which Jake turned into a red wolf. The night before I canceled the wedding, I had a dream about a vampire baby. I knew it was my baby or that I was responsible for it. It sat on a heaped pile of dead bodies. Those dead were my family and all of my friends."

"Oh, Bella," Angela said.

Charlie shuffled in his seat as if he wanted to do something and didn't know what it was.

"Josh does not have a spirit stick," someone said.

Bella didn't know what made her say it, it just came out. "He came home to make one… with the wolves, the whales and the cedars; the trees of his tribe."

Old Quil beamed at her. "And with you," he added.

"I am nothing," she argued.

"Your hearts beat as one," Old Quil said.

Bella thought that might have been more significant than just sounding like a song lyric. Drumming was so important to the tribe and a heartbeat was so like a drumbeat. It had to mean something else. Just like Josh had told her in the dream. Soul mates. And Old Quil could see it.

Bella gave him a small smile. "I dream _with_ Josh. I don't know how to explain that."

"Together?" Old Quil checked. "Both asleep at the same time?"

"Yes, but we are in each other's dream… I don't know who's dream it was."

"That's what he said. You can speak to each other?"

Jake interrupted. "She was asleep in the car on the way to Seattle. She said duffel bag. Josh was unconscious here, at the time."

"Yes and-" She stopped and blushed

Jake snorted. She had that look on her face again; the naughty sixteen year old.

"We imprinted in a dream," Josh said, rescuing her.

"She is your imprint?" Rachel asked him.

"Yes."

"So it jumps generations now?" Rachel snarked.

Leah bit her lip again. Bella thought she had been oddly quiet during this meeting. Clearly Rachel still didn't know about Billy and Leah's imprint.

"I know a lot of you have already experienced the power of imprinting," Old Quil said. "There may yet be more as more people return, and others phase. We must be prepared for some issues. Imprints may not respect existing relationships. We have seen that before, but we cannot know the intent of the Gods."

"Josh was in my dreams as well," Billy said. "I was on a cliff edge. Josh pulled me back from it."

Bella remembered going over that edge and being rescued by Jake. Dragging her body onto the beach, pounding on her chest and screaming at her to breathe. Their eyes locked across the room. She mouthed 'thank you'. He nodded at her and smiled. He held up Angela's hand. 'Thank you' he mouthed back.

Billy said, "My family were sure I was dying, but Josh met me in a dream and sent me… energy. The will to live."

"He healed you?"

"I think he helped. My body was already healing some of the damage from my illness, but he shared his life spirit with me and gave my body more time to heal itself when my spirit was ready to go."

Sam said, "He passed out afterward. It took some time for him to recover."

"He spent a lot of time with me in the dream; helping me," Billy said. "At least, it felt like it. It is hard to know how time passes in a dream. He draw a circle around us both. I said a prayer. I thanked the gods for my son." He looked at Jake. "I am so proud of him and I do not tell him often enough."

Old Quil nodded. "Josh is both a shaman and a wolf, but he is a lone wolf. He does not belong in either pack. That has never happened before. He can speak to both packs. I believe he is a bridge between the generations. He may have other gifts and skills that will develop with proper training and with time."

Josh was holding Bella very tightly. She patted his arm. This was a trial for him; his past and his behavior in open discussion. She was kind of glad Allison Uley wasn't there. But they did need to face her sometime.

"If we _have_ time," Sue said.

"We took out a vampire last night," Embry said. "With all this fuss going on, we haven't had a chance to tell people what he said." He looked from Jake to Billy to Josh, unsure of whom he needed to ask for permission.

Billy said, "Tell us, Embry and tell us why you think it is relevant."

"He was different, older, and wore weird clothes."

"Weird?" Bella sounded nervous. "How?"

"Yeah," said Paul. "He did seem to be older than the ones we normally get, and he certainly dressed differently. More velvet. It gets stuck in your teeth."

"Velvet. Was it a cloak? You know a long one that trailed on the ground? What color?" Bella asked.

"Yeah. Like that. Color? I dunno… a dark gray," Paul said.

"We are not so good with colors in wolf form," Sam said. "Like other canines."

"Was he from the Volturi?" Bella asked.

"Jeez, Bells, we wouldn't know. We didn't exactly stop and ask him questions," Quil argued.

"Well maybe you _should_ from now on," she fired back.

"We will… but we can't ask about stuff we didn't _know_ about," Paul said.

"I HAD to keep it a secret, Paul."

"Hey, hey," Josh said. "Stop that, both of you."

"His English was good until he got stressed and then he got a kind of accent; I couldn't say what kind, right?" Embry asked Paul.

"Yeah… I suppose he did have an accent," Paul admitted.

"And he wasn't frightened of us," Quil said. "Not at first. He tried to work out what we were, first. He only got frightened when there were three of us," Quil shrugged. "And by then it was too late."

Josh looked at Bella. "Do you think it was them?"

"If it was one of the Volturi Guard, then the cloaks are darker for higher rank." She turned back to Embry. "What did he look like?"

"He was very lean, tall and dark. His skin was olive as a vampire so he must have been darker as a human. And hard looking… you know?"

Bella blinked. "Hard and lean as the blade of a sword," she said absently.

"You've met him," Josh guessed.

"Yes. It sounds like Demetri, the tracker."

"Well not anymore," Quil said. "We killed him. _Again_. 'Coz he was already dead, and then we burnt him."

"Demetri?" Bella sounded astonished. "Their best tracker. Gone?"

"Jeez, Bella," said Paul. "We are good at this, you know?"

"He did say something that fits with your story, Bells," Embry said. He looked so serious.

Bella was too frightened to ask.

"Embry?" Josh asked. "What did he say?"

"He said… 'You can't protect her!' and then he said, 'They will come for her. Don't you understand. She promised!' He was pretty much screaming at us, by then. And then he said, "Nobody breaks a promise to Aro. Nobody!"

"He said Aro? Are you sure?"

"Certain."

"Izzy? You met Aro? Right?" Josh asked.

"He is the Volturi leader, remember? The guy I made the promise to."

"So it's true?" Kim squeaked. "It's all true? They are really coming for us? I thought you were just being a drama queen."

Jared hugged her and tried to calm her down, but her panic was infectious and nervous chat broke out everywhere.

"Wait! This is lucky for us, right?" Sam's authoritative voice boomed out. "They sent their best tracker. The guy who can find anyone anywhere, didn't you say Bella? And _we_ took him out. There is no-one to track him. This gives us a clear window."

"He's right," said Jake. "How long before they even notice he is missing?"

"Did he have a phone?" Seth asked. "Could he be in contact with the… V people… or is he an old school vamp and they don't use tech?"

"I didn't see a phone but we didn't go through his pockets," Paul said. "Except for Quil playing with his fingers."

"Oh, come on… it's neat the way they glue back together."

Josh had an odd look on his face.

"They are always like this," Bella told him.

"There was nothing in the ash. I checked," said Embry. "No electronics. Maybe a hint of plastics."

"He wore sunglasses in the bar," Bella said. "It was what struck them as weird."

"You say they have powers?" Billy asked. "Perhaps they will notice his absence some other way."

"Alice," said Bella. "We need Alice to check for us. But I-" She looked at Billy. "Billy? Do you have some way to contact the Cullen family?"

"Yes. It is an intermediary; a lawyer in Seattle who handles their paperwork. But he can get them a message from me in an emergency."

"I think we need their help-" Josh held his hands up to stall the voice of protest. "We need to know our enemy as well as we can. This is their battle, too. If they wish to help, we'd be foolish to deny them."

"They helped us before," Jake suggested. "Dr Cullen helped patch people up as well."

"Jasper had huge experienced in fighting vampires," Seth said. "He helped train us before with the newborn battle and he loved it. He'd come back to help, even if none of the others did."

"Alice would come with him," Bella said. Then she looked at Josh and he just put his arms around her at the look on her face. "Edward," she whispered to him. "He will want to come, too."

Emily pushed at Sam and he spoke again, "I hate to raise the ugly issue of money. But perhaps the Cullens could help us there, too."

There was an outcry from the audience. Help fighting was one thing. Financial aid from vampires was another.

"Quiet! What do you mean, Sam?" Billy asked him.

"I've got a construction business. You know that I employ Paul and Jared… but we've done nothing for the last few days. We can't get the time to work on projects because we are patrolling and now we will be training new wolves, and no building work means no income."

Embry added, "Quil and I run the whale spotting and diving boat but if the rez is closed, we've got no customers."

"And we've got no time… like Sam said," added Quil.

"Yes." Billy sighed. "I see what you mean. Jake's garage has been quiet for days as well."

"You were ill," Jake said.

"If anyone needs financial aid, they will have to make an application to the tribal council. We can make determinations as needed," Sue suggested.

"I can open a line of credit for each family at the shop," Joy said.

"You won't have a business in two months," Niki objected.

"Niki, if we don't stop them. If Josh and Bella are right, none of us will be here in two months' time."


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24 - I'll be home for Christmas**

_Disclaimer: the characters and all recognisable situations belong to Stephenie Meyer - this is a work of fan fiction, except for the legends and histories of the Quileute that, of course, belong to them. I pay my respects to their gods._

_Thanks to BanSidhe [ruadh sidhe] and Feebes86 for betaing and pre-reading._

* * *

><p>"Are you okay?" Josh asked Bella.<p>

"Just… worried."

"Edward is nothing to you, now."

"I know… but..." She bit her lip.

"I understand. He's more than the guy you nearly married."

She had nearly literally killed herself for him. Joined the ranks of the undead. "It's his family, too. I would have been part of his family."

"Your dreams, Josh?" Billy interrupted. "How much time do we have?"

"Sorry… I dream of gliding, fast moving creatures, in long dark cloaks with hoods, so that I could not see what they were. It wasn't until Izzy described them that I realized who they were." He put his hand up to his forehead. "It's a little hard to get an exact date. Dreams tend to show a full moon or whatever."

"When the first snow falls," Quil said. "Wasn't that what the pixie said last time?"

"Pixie?" Josh asked.

"Alice," Bella explained. "She's under five feet."

"What does this dream show that helps us guess the time of year?" Old Quil asked. "We can confirm with Alice Cullen if they want to help."

"She might be able to tell when the Volturi make a decision, but once someone's future intersects with the wolves, Alice loses her visions," Bella said. "And when she is close to the wolves herself, she is future blind."

"I know it will be soon and other than that, all I can give you is the waning stages of the full moon," Josh said.

"So about three weeks?" Old Quil said.

"Jeez… try to get a calendar in the next dream would ya," muttered Paul.

"Three weeks? That's not much time," Sue said.

"It could be the full moon after that. So that would be seven weeks," Josh said.

"I vote for seven weeks," said Jake.

"Oddly about as long as Joy suggested," Old Quil said with a smile at his daughter in law.

Nervous chat broke out again.

Old Quil turned to the audience. "Do you accept Joshua Uley as my successor?"

One voice said, "I don't know… does he say he's a shaman?"

"He doesn't say it, _I do_," said Old Quil.

"I, too, saw him in shaman dress in my dreams," Billy added.

"Do you trust us?" Old Quil asked.

Murmurs of 'aye' and 'yes' and a few that grumbled but it was the sound of agreement.

Josh gave an odd little bow. "Thank you. I will try to prove my worth."

Bella clasped his hand and squeezed.

He kissed her temple.

"Right," said Billy. "We have much to do. I will contact the lawyer in Seattle. We need to make sure we have all possible wolf candidates here on the reservation."

"You need to rest up and heal, Billy. We need you to phase as well," Josh said.

"And to lead the pack of elders," Billy added.

"Bells," Jake asked, "Is there any way to know what these people look like?"

"Carlisle had a painting in his study. A renaissance style one of the three leaders with him." She had seen it before her disastrous birthday party.

"We need mug shots, not paintings," Embry said. "Close up details of faces."

"Jeez, those damn cloaks make it hard," said Quil. "They've got hoods."

"Alice can draw," Bella said. "Perhaps she can draw them for us?"

"Great idea," Jake said.

"Sometimes, she illustrates her visions, so perhaps she can draw them all."

Josh sighed. "We will need as much information about each of them as we can get. We need to recognize them on sight and know what each is capable of. Even if we use cork boards or white boards, to put it all up. We need to study our enemy." He glanced at Bella. "Will Dr Cullen provide everything we need?"

She nodded. "To protect his family? He'd do it."

"Okay, is that everything?" Billy asked.

When nobody raised any objections, "Look," he announced to the room, "basically, if you hear a howl, just phase in and find out what is going on." Billy was organizing Joy Ateara to do a call roster so that they could contact everyone.

Joy started trying to express her concerns to Billy about feeding all of the new wolves, but Niki was waiting for her and she knew it. He held her hand and tugged her away before she had finished everything she wanted to say. Poor Billy looked relieved.

* * *

><p>Josh looked down at Bella as people started to move around, stand up and talk amongst themselves. Again, he took absolutely no notice of anyone else other than her. "I understand what you tried to tell me last night. And I know that you are worried about seeing the Cullens again."<p>

"A little… but I know we need their help. It has to be done."

His eyes looked serious.

"You shouldn't be worried about me," she suggested.

"I am not concerned about your heart." He bent down and whispered in her ear. "It's mine."

His hands rested on her hips, holding her in against him. She wanted to hide in his arms. Snuggle into him and never come out again. "But?" she hinted.

"I worry that you blame yourself for everything that happened."

"Nobody would be here; there would be no wolves-"

"That's not true, Izzy. They moved here before you even came to live with Charlie. _You_ told me that."

"I suppose," she grumbled. "At least nobody voted to hand me over to them."

Josh chuckled. "If they did my money is on Kim to propose it." He kissed her forehead and let her go. "I have to talk to Old Quil about something."

"Okay."

"Wait for me?"

"Yes."

She watched him walk away and made a small sighing noise as he did it. All he was wearing was a pair of athletic shorts and she loved seeing his body. She was aware of someone else watching her and looked around to see Embry, still sitting. He grinned at her.

"I apologize, Em. Are you sick of all the imprinted couples, yet?"

"Jake is so excited that it finally happened that I can't be angry with him. But to be honest… it's a little annoying even though I know they can't help it. "

"That's true." She thought of Leah and tried to change the subject. "Josh is so certain that you are his son."

Embry shrugged. "If he has a direct line to the gods, I am happy to trust him." He hugged her impulsively. "I know you had something to do with him… accepting me."

"I talked to him last night, but Embry, he already knew."

"You realize this makes you my step-mom?" He grinned at her.

"Ugh… and Nate's grandma. Gah."

"Now don't you go on about getting old again," Embry warned.

She laughed.

Embry was still studying her.

"What?" she asked him.

"I don't think Josh has all the magic."

"What do you mean?"

"You said, when you were telling me about Josh collapsing, that you made a wish. And that you did at exactly the same time as Josh was trying to heal Billy."

"I did? What did I say?"

"You said 'I just wanted Billy's tragedy to stop,' and it kind of has," Embry said, with a pointed glance to where Billy was still standing.

"Not really, if you think calling down a murderous bunch of vampires is stopping tragedy. And clearly it doesn't work now because I am wishing you'd be quiet."

He laughed. "So maybe it's the two of you, together?"

She frowned. "I _was_ touching Josh."

Embry stood. "I'm going to tell him, because I know you won't."

"What?" She tried to grab him but he had already darted over to where Josh and Old Quil were talking. He interrupted them and pointed at Bella.

She folded her arms. Josh glanced over at her and Old Quil looked particularly intrigued. Embry's hands moved as he explained what she had told him. She glared at him, but she half understood. Embry was particularly eager to have something to offer the man he had just discovered was his father. Josh didn't miss that either. She saw him put his hand on Embry's shoulder and praise him. Embry glowed. Josh may have been a bad father before, but he was trying pretty hard now.

* * *

><p>Josh glanced over at Bella watching them.<p>

"You should keep this gift quiet," Old Quil said.

"Why?" Josh asked.

"Crap… yeah. Think about it," said Embry.

Josh got it. "If they know what you think we can do, they may all want something."

"Yes," said the old man. "Heal my child, make me pregnant, or cure my husband's heart disease."

"Or protect my lover, husband, friend etcetera," added Embry.

"It might only work for pack," Josh tried.

"We'll have to test it somehow," said Embry. "We aren't even sure if it works, at all."

They were interrupted when a commotion broke out amongst the pack members still remaining.

* * *

><p>Lucas Uley had been watching the tribal meeting with interest. Seeing people he hadn't seen for years and occasionally checking out a few cute guys. He was sitting with Sue, her kids and their assorted cousins. He had definitely noticed Niki Lahote arrive; the man had presence. And then that extraordinary scene played out. He watched Joy from a couple of rows behind. She kept looking at Niki in astonishment. As far as Lucas knew, her husband had drowned a long time ago. He wondered if looking after her child and her aged father in law had put her last on her list of priorities. Had she even dated? And now she had almost literally fallen into the lap of one of the best looking men on the rez. Lucky thing.<p>

Lucas had heard about imprinting but he hadn't realized the intensity of it. Looking around the hall, it was easy to spot the imprinted pairs. They had a way about them. You could just tell they were together. Even Charlie and Sue.

Sue smiled at him when she caught him looking at them.

He smiled back.

They had done some serious sharing last night. This mind thing was really hard to get used to. Sue had accused him of not telling her he was gay and, once she had calmed down enough to actually listen to him, he could show her the exact number of times when he _had_ tried to tell her. Seen in his memories, she had understood that her flippant comment, (don't be ridiculous, Lucas. You're not gay.) or the way she seemed to deliberately misunderstand him had actually hurt him. Yeah, maybe he wasn't good at getting the actual words out, but she wasn't that good at listening for them, either. Most of the scenes she didn't even remember and they had taken on an epic quality in his mind. He had probably replayed them in his head a thousand times and got more and more upset each time that his sister had not accepted him.

They had worked through it. And he was glad but the whole situation was making him nervous.

At the end of the meeting, Lucas scanned over the audience. He caught sight of one guy that he thought was cute.

"Who's that?" he asked Sue, pointing at the guy.

"Brady."

"Where does he fit?"

"In the families? He's a Fuller but I think his mother was a Black. He's sitting with the Blacks."

"Good."

"Are you okay?"

"Yes," he lied.

"You smell all nervous and sweaty." Sue was still getting the hang of her new wolf abilities.

"I hate this."

"It's very intense." Sue glanced at Brady again. "Brady's been a wolf for a long time. He phased when he was just thirteen, but he must be eighteen now. Yes, it would have been about three months after Seth & Leah did. Poor dear. It's too early that young. Too much to ask children to do. I don't think it's good for them."

"No," Lucas agreed. He was checking out Brady's ass and wondering if his face was as cute. He was willing him to turn around so that he could see for himself.

It was probably the sense that someone was watching him that did it. He _did_ turn around. Brady's eyes scanned the crowd and fell on Lucas.

And they stayed.

Lucas inhaled sharply. "Oh," he said in a tiny voice. He blinked rapidly.

Sue, now a wolf herself, heard his heart rate go wild. "What's-" She looked up and saw his face. And then she glanced where he was looking.

Brady was backing away. Shaking his head and muttering, 'No, no," under his breath.

She watched all the expression drain out of her brother's face. He had looked pleased and now he looked terrible. She tried to put her hand on his arm but he shook it off. He rose to his feet and with a final, desperate longing glance at Brady, he took a couple of shaky steps and then he ran from the room.

Everyone looked at Brady.

"Was that an imprint?" Jake asked. "It was, wasn't it? Brady?"

No answer. Brady was still staring at the door Lucas had disappeared out of.

Collin grabbed his friend and shook him a little. "Brady? Was it?"

He nodded. "But I'm not gay," Brady muttered.

"We know about that guy-" Collin started.

"It was just that one time. I'm _not_ gay."

"The gods think you are," said Quil offhandedly.

"I'm not!" Brady wailed.

"Okay… okay. Maybe there is some other reason for it?" Collin hugged his friend and exchanged a glance with Jake over his shoulder.

Jake put his hand over his forehead. "Fuck. Every time we get a bunch of people together something else happens."

* * *

><p>Sue grabbed Leah. "Help me find Lucas?"<p>

"Jeez, Mom… what am I going to say to him?"

"I don't know, but I was so horrible to him before… he doesn't deserve this."

Leah sighed. "You sure you don't want me to talk to Brady?"

"Family first," she said.

"Uh huh." Leah sounded skeptical. But she noticed Embry watching. He had been talking to Josh and Old Quil when he left and started to walk after Brady, so she let her mother drag her away. Embry would look after him.

* * *

><p>Billy half watched her leave. He guessed Paul and Rachel would be busy, making up after their argument. Again… Jake and Angela were inseparable and Billy was feeling alone. He watched as Angela, holding Jake's hand, started to try and explain something to him about website design. He could tell Jake wasn't actually comprehending anything she was saying; just staring at her with rapt attention.<p>

Leah darted back in the door of the meeting hall. "Billy?"

His face lit up when he saw her. It actually surprised her for a second.

"Ahh… Mom said you should come over for lunch."

"I'd like that."

"She probably wants to poke needles in you."

He smiled. "Probably."

"You too, Josh," she called.

"Okay!"

Bella was sitting alone and staring at a spot on the floor. Josh walked over to her and stood in that spot. He wriggled his toes until she smiled.

"I was a horrible child," she said.

"It did sound pretty bad all listed at once like that."

She nodded.

"A parent can't compete with true love," he added.

"But you expect them to be there when the love falters or fails."

"Yes. But you just ran away before the wedding. He didn't get to help you get over it."

"And I couldn't tell him the truth. I would have had to die or whatever to be with the Cullens."

He noticed that she didn't say to be with Edward. "Or fake your death?"

"I guess so. I don't know how the others did it. I think in each case, they were close to death when Carlisle turned them." She picked at her fingers.

"It would have been easier in the olden days." He studied her. "Charlie, as a cop, would have taken your death harder than most."

"You're right. He would never have let it rest." She sighed heavily. "I used to scream in my sleep and wake him up."

"Bad dreams?"

"Yes."

"I'm not surprised that you had bad dreams."

"Poor Dad," she said.

"You need to spend some time with him."

"Right." She gave him a look. "Allison wasn't here, today."

He grimaced. "Touché. I will make time to talk to her."

"And Sam?" she pressed.

"And Sam."

He brushed his hand over her hair. She leaned into his touch. "You understand."

"I used to have dreams that made me scream too."

"I see."

"Yes, you do."

"We can talk now," Charlie interrupted.

* * *

><p>[AN: in the books Bella pretty much got everything she wanted… to marry Edward, have a child, still have Jake and Charlie in her life, skip the newborn vampire period, be beautiful and rich etc. So I thought… what if… that was an extra skill she had? But here, it only works with Josh involved, so it's more limited.]<p> 


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25 - I'll be home for Christmas**

_Disclaimer: the characters and all recognisable situations belong to Stephenie Meyer - this is a work of fan fiction, except for the legends and histories of the Quileute that, of course, belong to them. I pay my respects to their gods._

_Thanks to BanSidhe [ruadh sidhe] and Feebes86 for betaing and pre-reading._

* * *

><p>"We can talk now," Charlie interrupted.<p>

Bella nearly jumped out of her skin. Josh grinned. "You knew he was there," she accused.

"You said you'd be around before and then you took off to Seattle."

"I know, Dad."

Charlie made a huff noise. "Let me put it another way… we ARE talking. Right now, young lady."

"Okay, Dad." She knew Josh was watching her and Charlie couldn't see his face.

Josh made a 'now don't be rude to your father face' at her, but said, "I'll catch up with you later. Lunch at the Clearwaters, remember?"

She nodded and squeezed his hand for a reply.

He nodded at Charlie but they didn't shake hands; Charlie's hands were shoved deep in his pockets and his whole body looked tense.

Bella did not like the look of that. "Where do you want to talk?"

"With all of them with super hearing there is virtually nowhere to talk privately."

"Why don't we just walk down to First Beach?"

They walked there in silence and sat on the picnic tables opposite the tourist shop. Charlie stood again, abruptly, as if he couldn't stand to be still.

"I cannot believe how many times in that little talk, you nearly died. I never liked Edward," he said.

She was silent. They were not related but she could see how those two things were linked in her father's mind.

"I always felt as if I was losing you… before the wedding. As if you weren't growing up and getting married, but as if you were going to be… just… gone."

"You were right."

"You wanted to _die_?"

"I loved him."

"A VAMPIRE? An honest to God, bloodsucking dead thing?"

"Yes." Her voice was tiny. "I thought they were strong and beautiful."

"Sue told me about vampires, but I didn't quite put it together what the Cullens were and I should have - they were so different. I remember telling Deputy Mark that Dr Cullen was the best doctor we ever had because he didn't seem to sleep." He let out an ugly laugh.

Charlie shook his head and turned his back, staring out to sea. "I promised myself I wouldn't shout at you."

She saw him take a deep breath.

"How old is Josh?"

"I asked. He's forty five."

"Forty five," he repeated.

Bella was well aware that her father was forty seven; it was 2011 and he was born in 1964.

"And I suppose because you two are tied together by this weirdo wolf thingy-"

"Imprinting?"

"-that there's nothing I can do about it."

"Would you have tried to break Josh and me up?"

"What, like Edward? You didn't listen to much of my advice on that front."

"You liked Jake. I got that message loud and clear." She sighed. "I liked Jake, too. Loved him, even."

Charlie changed tack. "Josh was trouble when he was younger." He kept walking back and forth, looking out to sea and not looking at her as they talked.

"I know. He told me."

"Did he?"

"He probably didn't tell me _everything_. It was the first day we were… together. Did you know of him? When you were a new cop?"

"Yeah. He was quite the rez delinquent when he was a teen. Had a talent for getting himself into trouble."

"He said he looked up to Billy and the others; that they were his friends."

"They tried to straighten him out… but-" He shrugged.

Bella wanted to change the subject. "At least give me some credit for not marrying Edward."

He humphed. "And then you just ran." He shook his head again.

"I know. I've just explained why I couldn't tell you about it."

"Josh was right about that. That I couldn't help you after the canceled wedding." He might have heard her say she was a horrible child, too. "I am sorry about that but I had to keep the secret. It seems pointless and silly now that it is all such a mess, but it was all I could think to do to protect you… and Mom and all my friends."

"I don't like this supernatural stuff. Makes me just want to shoot something. Vampires and werewolves," he muttered.

"I'm not sure you _can_ shoot vampires, Dad."

He ignored that. "So Josh is it for you, huh? The wolf mate? It's just all so sudden."

"It is. But you are an imprint, too."

"I know and I _still_ think it's weird. Lucky I already loved Sue." He turned around to look at her. "But there's no guarantee of that, is there?"

"No. Look at what just happened with Brady and Lucas." She paused. "Or Sam and Emily. They love each other now, but it started off badly."

"Seth told me. She almost died. And everyone covered it up to protect their heritage. Told me she had been attacked by a bear. Bear, my ass."

"How could they have told you the truth? Would you have believed them? Shape shifters and wolves?"

"What if she had died?" he argued. "Would they have continued to lie to her family?" His eyes narrowed. "How would _you_ have died?" He used finger apostrophes.

She bit her lip. "I don't know. But newborn vampires can't be near humans for the first six months; they have no self control, so I probably would have had to go away somewhere isolated."

"So … some accident on the honeymoon?"

She shrugged. She didn't even know where the honeymoon was going to be. Edward and his habit of making decisions for her, again.

"They'd done it before… the Cullens?"

"I guess so for the others. It must get harder with more modern technology. It was easier to disappear in the old days. But now, with photo ID's?"

He didn't say anything to that. Just stared at her. "Your mother would have flipped out. Lord knows, she's bad enough now. And I know that in all this fuss, you haven't thought to ring her."

"I have but I have no idea what to say to her."

"You were always such a sensible little thing. Balancing her check books when you were eleven. It's like you've done things backwards."

"I can't call her _now…_ she will want to come here and see me. And if the worst happens, I don't want her to be here, too. Or Phil. Give me two months to deal with Mom."

Charlie gave her a very serious look. "I suppose … everyone seems pretty scared of these V guys. I will still be interested to hear what Dr Cullen has to say about them."

Silence.

"At least it explains why Billy was so weird about you dating Edward and so upset when the Cullens came back."

"Yes. And he couldn't tell you the truth, either. I am sorry that it affected your friendship."

"My best friend." He shook his head disbelievingly. "I am really starting to learn that this tribe keeps it secrets."

"Yep, it sure does."

"Are you going to have kids?" Charlie asked, seemingly at a tangent.

"With Josh? He had a dream about it, so I guess we will."

"His dreams seem to be coming true so I suppose that might be right. He's too old for kids."

"Your parents had you in their mid-forties," she shot back.

"Don't remind me and that's not an easy thing for a kid to deal with either."

"How do you mean?"

He sat down next to her. "I guess you don't know. I find it hard to talk about it."

"You are doing very well with the talking, so far."

"That's Sue's influence. She keeps telling me to use my words."

Bella smiled.

"After your mother and I separated. She took you away to live with her mother… and I couldn't go after you because both my parents were ill."

"I-I… didn't know that."

"No. As an only child, I had to nurse them and do my job. They were both dead within a year and by then Renee didn't want to try again."

"Thank you for telling me that. But at least, with Josh, he'll be a pretty sprightly parent as a wolf. Gosh… that's a point, Dad, with Sue becoming a wolf, they get … well, not younger, but they seem to get a longer lifespan and heal faster. Maybe Sue could have more kids. You two want to be careful." She gave him a wicked look.

Charlie looked utterly astonished. He gulped in a breath. "A-are you giving me the contraception talk?"

"I guess I am." She chuckled.

"The woman is a nurse," Charlie spluttered.

"Dad..." she chided. "Are you leaving her responsible for contraception?"

"Don't change the subject!"

"Fine. What can I say to you, Dad? You want the truth? When I was living with you, Edward climbed in my bedroom window and slept with me every night-"

"He WHAT?"

"Just to watch me sleep… nothing else. He was very old fashioned. I told you that, remember?"

Charlie shuddered. "Watch you sleep?" he repeated. He glared at her. "What else did he do?"

"Made decisions for me, chose my college, signed my college papers for me, disabled the truck so I couldn't visit Jake, got Alice to kidnap me and keep me at their house…" her voice trailed off.

"You only ever went out with him - you ignored your other friends. Do you know how many domestic violence indicators that was? Bells, I'm a cop. I deal with this stuff every damn day."

She held her hands up. "I know… I know… it seems creepy and weird to me now. But I was so young and so in love with him."

"I am just glad that you didn't marry him."

"I know."

He stared off at the sea again. "I used to wake up every morning and think of you… wonder where you were… were you okay?"

"When I was with him, I lied, I hid things from you, and I did pretty much whatever the Cullens wanted me to do. I didn't even explain what had happened in Italy to you or where I had been and all I said to you was that it was okay now and that Edward was back in my life with zero explanation. And you had just buried your best friend. I was a horrible, horrible child."

"I understand. I mean… I do now." He hugged her. "Just wait until you have your own kids…" He guffawed. "If they are even half the trouble their father was…"

"Sam's okay," she argued. "And Embry is lovely."

"Lovely?" Charlie snorted.

"He's a nice guy."

"Yeah… he is."

Bella could see Angela approaching. She jigged her head that way to warn her father.

"Am I interrupting?" she asked.

"No, Angela. You're okay. Bella and I are pretty much done," Charlie said.

"Bella… I just wanted to say that was the most extraordinary story and that you are the bravest person I know. I cannot believe what you have been through in the last few years and none of us knew or did anything to help you. I apologize for that."

"Oh… It's okay, Ang. I just did what I had to. Pity you can't write a book about it."

Angela looked as if she was thinking about it. "It would sell millions, too." She patted Bella's shoulder. "What I came to tell you was that I had a dream, too. I didn't tell you that in the bar, but that was why I started to track you down. I kept dreaming about you."

Charlie looked intrigued.

"And it led you to Jake," Bella said.

"And you." Angela shook her head slightly. "I can't explain it."

"Josh would say it was meant to happen."

She smiled. "Yes, he would and I think my father might agree with him. Divine intervention." She glanced at Charlie. "We are all honored to be chosen by our wolves, but I don't think it will be an easy fight or without cost."

"No," said Charlie. "Major bad guys coming."

* * *

><p>Josh watched Bella leave with Charlie.<p>

"Billy? Did you want to try phasing?"

"I don't know."

"Do you feel up to it?"

Billy didn't answer him.

"We can try it with just the two of us," Josh suggested.

Billy's glance fell on his wheelchair. His only form of transportation; his effective legs. Years he had spent in that chair. Well, not that particular chair. He had a tendency to wear wheelchairs out bumping along the badly sealed roads of the reservation.

Josh noticed. "We can bring it with us."

They walked, slowly and carefully. Josh wheeled the chair.

"How do we tell the whole tribe what is happening?" Josh asked.

Billy snorted. "Have you forgotten just how small this community is?"

"Maybe I have. Too long in the city."

"Someone will phase in the open or talk about it to another person in Joy's store and before you know it, it will be all over the rez. It will be bad enough after that meeting. There were a few people there who snuck in the back who weren't wolf families. I think what we do need to do is close La Push down."

"I had forgotten about the tourists."

"Yep. No tourists. All we need is some damn fool with a phone camera and we'll become the next Bigfoot or yeti sighting."

"Can we do that? Shut it down?"

"This is our land. We have our own police force. We are autonomous. If the Tribal Council says it closes; it closes."

Josh sighed. "Other people would be cannon fodder-"

"Or food. And I won't have that on my conscience either. Not with this Volturi thing coming. We can make up any story we want - a historic ritual or something, but we need strangers to stay away. At least until this is over."

"Agreed and we can get newly phased wolves to patrol the borders and scare people away."

"Giant bears," Billy said. "That worked last time."

"Charlie, Chief of Police for Forks, might help with that."

"Maybe. He gets kind of small minded on matters of the law."

They had reached a clearing by then.

"Ready?"

They undressed and hung their clothes on the wheelchair.

"See?" Josh quipped. "I told you it'd be useful."

"You might be wheeling me home in it, when I fall on my ass," Billy joked. He flexed his arms and shoulders. "I saw the last pack, you know."

"Wow! Really?"

"I was a small child and my father took me to see them. To explain that this was our heritage. He had never phased, but I watched as my stooped old grandfather went into the forest. He seemed ancient to me, then. I have no clue how old he really was at the time. But I saw him change into a wolf. My father told me not to be afraid. And I wasn't, not even before he said it. I knew that wolf was my grandfather because he had the same gray hair around his muzzle that my grandfather had at his temples."

"The wonder of a child?"

"Maybe and I also recognized the change. Or something inside me did. He ran off with his friends. One was Quil Ateara and the other was Levi Uley, your grandfather."

"Of course. What an honor to see them."

"I would like to do that. I will admit to being disappointed that my generation did not have a pack, but I am sad that my friend Quil won't be here, but if I can run with a Uley, I will be content."

Josh clapped him on the shoulder. "I would be proud. Let that wolf out, Billy. I want to see him run."

"Like in your dreams?"

"You remember?"

Billy looked confused. "Was it a dream? Or was it a glimpse of the future?"

"I thought it was a dream at the time, but now I think it was both."

"Wolf Leah wasn't there… in my dream."

"No. I will admit, that took me by surprise. I was not prepared for that or for female wolves. I have no idea why not; it makes perfect sense."

"Just not ever done before. At least as far as the stories tell us."

"Stories written by men?" Josh asked.

"We honor our women. The third wife legend is still told. Bella heard that one when she attended a bonfire."

"Did she? I thought it was tribe only for the legends."

"We have always bent the rules for that girl. I believe that she remembered it when she cut her own arm with a rock to distract the vampire Victoria." Billy looked amused.

"Seth said that. The more I hear about that girl, the more I worry about her." Josh shook his head.

"So your dreams are not infallible?" Billy asked.

"Nobody is and I know you are delaying. Do you need a jump start?"

Billy chuckled. "If you wouldn't mind."

Josh nodded. He stamped his foot on the forest floor, clapped his hands and he started to sing. It was an old song about the wily old trickster, the Raven; a traditional song for Quileute children. Billy joined in and when they had finished that tale they sang of the great wolf spirit and his fight with the whale.

Billy copied Josh, stamping his feet and as he banged his feet on the earth of his tribe, the jarring movement traveled up through the newly healed muscles and nerves of his legs and it told his brain that those legs worked now. And they worked well.

Swaying and turning, the two men danced and sang.

Unbeknown to Billy, the older wolves, the ones who had phased recently, were drawn to the sound. With their new skills they could hear sound from six miles away.

Josh leapt up and twisted his body in the air. He landed on four paws.

Billy continued the song alone for another line before he tried the same movement. It was not as elegant, but the result was the same. The song cut off with a tearing noise and a massive russet colored wolf stood there.

It quivered. Its ears flicked back and forth nervously.

_Billy?_

_This is… extraordinary. There is no way to describe it. The wave of sound and the scents! I can tell that someone is coming._

_Open your mind to them, they are your pack._

_It's my sister, Connie._

The wolf skittered sideways in its excitement.

_Call them. They are yours. They will come._

_Ha! Most of them are already here._

He lifted his enormous muzzle and gave a howl.

Wolves exploded out of the forest. Darting through the trees. And greeting their alpha in the way expected of lesser ranked pack members.

Josh watched the new pack pay obeisance and he could hear them all in his head, chattering excitedly.

_Let's run!_ Billy suggested.

_Show Jake and Rachel. I know where they are,_ Josh said.


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26 - I'll be home for Christmas**

_Disclaimer: the characters and all recognisable situations belong to Stephenie Meyer - this is a work of fan fiction, except for the legends and histories of the Quileute that, of course, belong to them. I pay my respects to their gods._

_Thanks to BanSidhe [ruadh sidhe] and Feebes86 for betaing and pre-reading._

* * *

><p>"Pack meeting, now," growled Jake. Embry was looking for Brady, and Leah was missing, looking for Lucas.<p>

"I'll go make myself useful or call my Dad or something," Angela suggested. She kissed Jake goodbye.

"She's nice," Quil commented as they all walked into the forest to talk. It seemed the right place to do it.

"And tall," said Collin. "Really, really tall."

"You'll have kids like giraffes," said Seth.

Sam changed the subject, "So, what's the plan?"

"I have no idea… but at least we all know _what's_ coming, now. We need to start thinking about ideas… any ideas… no matter how nuts…"

"I reckon they will send someone to find out what happened to that first guy; Demetri?" Paul said. "That's what we'd do if someone was missing."

Sam sighed. "Assuming he even told them he was coming here."

"It's where Bella was living before and the Cullens lived in Forks, so even if they aren't sure, they might send a scout here to ask around," said Jared.

"They have no tech… right? So they won't phone," said Rachel, still holding Paul's hand.

"Shit," Seth said. "If they do phone, the whole town will know Bella is back and someone will just tell them. Charlie didn't go to work yesterday or today and said it was because she was back," Seth pointed out. "All they need to do is phone the police station."

"The hospital will already be dusting her old file off," said Quil.

Jake laughed. "That's true… but I think they will stay old school. And until we get a better idea of when this will all happen, we have to prepare and assume it will be sooner rather than later."

"What if they get smart and just drive in?" Jared asked.

"We can't search cars. We better hope they don't." Jake looked worried. Then he caught sight of Paul and Rachel. They were just about inside each other's pants. "Jeez, you two - will you cut it out! We're trying to have a meeting. Have makeup sex later."

"Sure, sure little brother," Rachel said.

Paul tucked himself in behind her and nibbled at her neck.

"So what does Angela do?" Jared asked.

"She's a journalist but she's got some ideas to rejuvenate La Push. She wants to set up a web-page, allow on-line bookings for tourists for accommodation or tours. She's full of ideas." He inflated with pride.

"You all owe me an apology," Quil said.

"What, why?" Sam asked.

He pointed at Sam. "I said if Bella was back there would be vampires to kill. And I was right." He looked incredibly smug about it.

Sam rolled his eyes. "Fine… sorry, Quil. You were right."

Quil did a little hop in place.

* * *

><p>Embry was talking to Brady. They were sitting on the ground in the forest. It hadn't taken him long to track him down. Brady kept digging his fingers into the ground and pulling apart leaves angrily. There were long pauses between their sentences as they both dealt with a subject neither was really happy about.<p>

"How do you stand it?" Brady asked him.

"Imprinting?" He shrugged. "It's just part of the deal. You know that. I told Leah that we both knew it could happen one day."

"I know. But… you guys were so good together."

Embry didn't say anything to that.

"Can you hear singing?" Brady asked.

"Yeah and something else… clapping?"

"I wonder who that is?"

The chanting and singing became background noise for them.

Brady sighed. "I always thought that if I hadn't imprinted yet, it wasn't going to happen."

"But things have changed, Brady."

"Sure have."

Silence.

"I'm not gay!" Brady protested.

"I don't care if you are. It makes no difference to me." Embry stared out into the forest.

"There has to be a reason for it, right? An imprint on a guy?"

"We don't know. There was not much information from the last packs about it."

"Nothing in Old Quil's books?"

"Kim suits Jared, but she'd make me crazy."

"In the meeting Old Quil said it had something to do with new blood."

"Looking outside the tribe, didn't he say? Kim and Emily are Makah. Claire was Makah. Angela isn't from the tribe, nor is Bella."

"Oh yeah, she's Josh's imprint." He threw the mangled leaf he had in his hands away. "And I get … a guy."

"He seems like a good guy."

Brady made a derisive noise.

"Maybe it is more about what you can do for _him_, than what he does for you," Embry said.

"What do you mean?"

"Last night when Seth was phasing in and out, I caught some of what was going on. Seth said Lucas has been hiding his sexuality from his family for his whole life. Sue didn't know her own brother was gay until she phased-"

"And he thought about it."

"Yeah. You know how that is. I don't think his life has been that easy. He left the rez and swore he was never coming back. People were pretty surprised to see him here at all."

Brady shrugged.

"Like your life wasn't easy," Embry suggested carefully. "You remember phasing? You were just thirteen and you had to keep that a secret from your parents."

Brady also knew that Embry had kept being a wolf a secret from his mother as well. Even when the whole pack was sick of the way she treated him and railed at him. Sam finally offered to just tell her about the pack, and Embry wouldn't let him. Secrets; the pack were all good at deception and Lucas struck him as just too open and out there. No wonder he got hurt.

"Lucas might have been about the same age when he got that he was different? About thirteen?" Brady asked.

"Maybe… you could ask him." Embry tried.

Brady sighed.

"Just be his friend," Embry suggested. "And see how it goes."

"I'll try."

They listened to the singing until it stopped and then after a minute or so a howl rang out.

"Shit!" said Brady. "Who is that?"

"It must be Billy. I can feel that it's another alpha."

"We had better get going and find the rest of the pack."

* * *

><p>Jake's pack heard some other wolves coming. An enormous russet wolf dashed into the clearing, stopped in front of Jake, swished its tail and yipped at him. It turned and shoved its snout into Rachel and then ran off again. It was accompanied by a black wolf he recognized as Josh.<p>

Jake was so astonished he said nothing.

"Dude!" Quil said. "Is that who I think it is?"

"Dad." Jake bit his lip.

Quil gave him one of those guy side hugs. "He's on four legs instead of four wheels."

Jake smiled. Quil was always good for a joke to ease the tension. "Rach? You okay?"

She was blinking quickly. She held her hand out to her brother and he took it. "He was dying… days ago." Her voice strained by emotion.

"I know. It's… amazing."

Fast on the heels of the front two wolves were more than a half dozen others.

Sam counted them. "Eight… and six of them are female." He paused. "Such a pity…"

They all knew he was remembering when Leah phased; the lone she-wolf. How much of a difference would it have made to her if there had been other females back then?

Leah jogged in to join them as if thinking of her had summoned her.

"You just missed the seniors," said Jared.

"Sorry, mom freaked over-" She glanced at Collin. "Over Lucas," she finished. "Is Brady okay?"

"Embry went to talk to him. They'll get here when they can."

Leah nodded.

"You know what is weird?" Jared asked. "That those wolves were our parents!"

"I know, right," said Paul.

"Six females," Sam said.

"Yeah. And probably more. Billy thinks the Gods are trying to fix mistakes." Leah jigged her head at Quil. "Dodgy imprints and gender imbalances."

"He looked great," said Seth. "Like a … leader. You know?"

They all remembered Old Quil's speech about the gods wanting the tribal chief on the field of battle. Rachel shivered and Paul held her closer.

Jake shook himself. "Okay, we need to work out some shifts, some training regimes… any ideas?"

The pack got to work.

* * *

><p>Billy Black ran with his pack and Josh ran with him.<p>

Niki Lahote was late catching them up.

Adam Fuller, Brady's father: _where have you been, Niki?_

Niki: _I was with Joy._ He exuded happiness. _And I am going to see her later, too._

They all thought about their loved ones or imprints.

Connie Black: _I feel so good. Now I get why Collin is so hungry all the time. I could eat a horse._

Emmie Black: _or a deer, maybe?_

They all laughed.

Saathi Cameron, Jared's mom:_ I can't wait to go home and jump my husband. He smells so good. I never noticed before - and I'm not tired._

The black twins Connie & Jennie: _Woo hoo… go Saathi! No more headaches!_

Niki:_ yeah, my dodgy knee from that climbing accident feels one hundred percent better. I could run all day, now._

Jane Wilde, Jake's aunt: _Now I can fix that leak in the roof, myself._

Adam Fuller: _Don't even have to worry if you fall off!_

Jane: _Yes_,_ I could probably land on my feet_.

Nora Black: _I found that odd smell in the kitchen. _She chuckled._ It was a dead mouse behind the refrigerator and I hauled it out of there on my own._

Billy: _I feel so young. So energized._

Josh: _here come Lucas and Sue._

They all chorused a welcome.

Lucas was still off balance after his imprint rejected him, but he, like the others, was overjoyed to be included whole heartedly into the group; his pack. They all snuffled at him and welcomed him, tails wagging and excited yips escaping their muzzles.

Nora: _I have a list of things that I want to finish._

_Billy: Like your bucket list? Oh, now that's a good idea. I've still got a few spots I need to fish._

He could almost hear Sue roll her eyes. His usual fishing companion was Charlie Swan.

They had been exploring for a while when Sue's rumbling stomach reminded her that she had invited people over for lunch.

Sue: _oops. Lunch._

Billy: _let's spend the rest of the day with family and friends._

Josh: _take the opportunity while we can?_

Everyone was happy to agree to that.

Josh, Billy and Sue turned for her home.

The men took a detour to return to the clearing this journey had started in.

Josh didn't say anything as Billy phased to human, stood there and looked at the wheelchair that had been his only form of transport for years. He put his clothes back on, folded it up and put it under one arm.

"Let's go, Josh."

They stowed the chair in the shed with a few other pieces of junk.

* * *

><p>Sue needn't have panicked about lunch. By the time she got home she could smell it. Bella and Charlie had things well in hand.<p>

"I love you," she told Charlie, as she planted a kiss on him.

"Thought you might have forgotten." He looked proud of himself and Bella noted that cooking was either a new skill for her father or he had pretended to be helpless when she had lived with him.

Seth, Leah, Billy and Josh all joined them.

The small dining table filled up. They pulled up extra chairs and the squeezed in rather than balance plates on their laps. Billy wanted to stand until Leah made him take a seat.

"Don't overdo it," she told him.

Seth ate quickly and headed out to do a patrol.

Knowing that the threat was coming made everyone more aware of family and no one seemed to want to leave. Billy swore he was fine and didn't need any needles poked into him to check. That reminded Charlie of a fishing story about when he got a fishhook stuck in his thumb. He started to tell it, for the hundredth time, with interruptions from Billy and Sue when he forgot parts. They all knew it off by heart and it didn't matter.

Leah and Bella smiled at each other before Bella leaned across and put her head down on Josh's thigh. She was listening to the voices and thinking how much she had missed everyone and then her eyes closed and she fell asleep.

She woke up as he was carrying her out the door and explaining that she hadn't got a lot of sleep the night before. She mumbled her goodbyes before pressing her face into his neck and letting him take her back to the cabin. He had seemed stronger than he looked, the first time she had met him, but now carrying her was effortless.


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27 - I'll be home for Christmas**

_Disclaimer: the characters and all recognisable situations belong to Stephenie Meyer - this is a work of fan fiction, except for the legends and histories of the Quileute that, of course, belong to them. I pay my respects to their gods._

_Thanks to BanSidhe [ruadh sidhe] and Feebes86 for betaing and pre-reading._

**[AN:remember children, safe sex always.]**

* * *

><p>They didn't speak on the walk back. Bella was tired of talking today. Josh carried her inside the cabin and half drowsy, she watched him lay her down and start to peel her out of her clothes.<p>

She was tired, but right now, all she wanted was to get as much of Josh as she could get, pressed up against as much of her as she could get.

"Need you," she told him.

He looked at her and his eyes brightened when he saw in her face that she really meant it, but he said, "You're tired. You should sleep."

"I will… after."

He glanced at the pile of old journals but she pulled his face back to hers and shook her head. "And you can research after, too."

Before he had been undressing her with functionality but now it became undressing her with purpose. It was hard to say what made it different; the way his eyes looked, the way they had gone from interested to all sex, the way his fingers lingered against her flesh. Each piece of skin he exposed, he ran his fingertips across it, stroking and pressing at her. It made her breathe a little faster.

She tried to sit up and he pushed her gently back down. "In a minute."

She obeyed though she kind of hoped it was longer than a minute. Given the way he was looking at her, it had promise. He quickly undressed himself.

Naked now, she absorbed his gaze. His palms pressed at her hips and he pushed them up her body until each hand closed around a breast. His fingers gripped hard, but not too hard. Her breath hiccuped. Staring at her, he lowered his head and licked across a nipple. A light, teasing lick before his mouth closed over it and he sucked. The pressure increased until she shifted under him and brushed her hands through his hair. As he sucked at one breast, he played with the other, pinching and rolling the nipple until she made small noises of pleasure. A harder grip made her moan, but she knew he was so attuned to her bodily reactions that he wasn't hurting her. At least not unless she wanted him to. She tried to reach for him but he wormed out her grasp, avoiding her easily. "Wait," he said as he pulled his head away.

She groaned her protest, opening her legs wider and encouraging him to play in other areas of her body. He took the invitation. His hand released her aching breast, slid down and over her stomach to slide between her legs. His fingers brushed against her for several strokes.

She was already wet and she pushed against him eagerly. He started to explore, changing from a single stroke to two fingers or his whole hand pressing against her mound, as if he was testing what she liked today. She wriggled and gasped, clutching his other arm and angling her face up for a kiss.

She thought that he kissed differently now that he was a wolf. Way more sniffing and licking and she decided in some pleasure soaked part of her brain that she liked it. He felt hotter too, his mouth like a furnace and as her hands moved over his shoulders, she also decided that he seemed to have gained muscle mass since yesterday. Impossible and she didn't care.

Deep in the kiss she started to tremble as her orgasm built and built until it flowed through her body. She yanked her head away from his mouth to gasp in a breath before she cried out as his clever fingers brought her to that edge and worked at her until she fell over it.

Laying there she could barely open her eyes, breathing heavily with her heart hammering in her chest. She felt him fumble between her legs as he held his cock firmly and used the head of it to stroke her. She twitched. Still so excited and close to that edge, that he brought her to orgasm again easily this way. His nose brushing across her flesh and his lips placing kisses everywhere they passed.

"Fuck me," she begged.

He chuckled; a pleased male sound and when he finally pushed the head inside her she was so tight that he had to work his way in. Small, shunting movements until she had relaxed enough to allow him deeper entry. His hand slid under her thigh and he lifted her a little. She watched as he pulled out her, rolled his hips and thrust back in. He did it again. She groaned and grabbed him around the back to pull him in closer.

He pulled away from her and flipped her over onto her stomach. She hurriedly pushed the pillows off the bed. "Please."

His fingers interlaced with hers and he pulled her arms out in a straight line to her shoulders. He made a couple of blind questing movements before he slid back inside her. He guided himself into her with gentle pushes that made her groan.

"Ooh," she moaned. She was so hot, the sweat slick on their bodies and his weight pressing onto her, holding her down. His breath gusting into her hair as he made long, slow pushes into her. "Yes, yes," she muttered.

He let go of one hand to stroke her with his fingers. She dug her fingers into the mattress to hang on and stay where she was placed. Lifting her ass at him in her eagerness. He built up to longer strokes, and she built up to moans. And then she gasped as he entered her hard enough to make their bodies slap together.

She tried to lift up. Pulling her arms in and under her body to lift up under him.

He noticed.

He put an arm around her waist and lifted her to her knees. With his greater height, he covered her - flesh pressed impossibly close to flesh. Closer still in parts where he was entering her; inside her. His hand returned to stroke her. She rocked back onto him and she felt another curling orgasm approach. "Josh." She whimpered his name.

"I've got you, Izzy."

He balanced on one arm as she turned her face towards him, holding onto his straight arm to pull herself around. He kissed her, plunging his tongue into her mouth as his cock entered her body.

"Fuck me hard, Josh," she mumbled against his lips, knowing he would hear her.

He took her at her word. Shifting to hold her at the hips, she dropped back down to all fours as he thrust into her intensely, her whole body shaking as he slammed into her.

She yelped as he hit somewhere inside her that hurt. "You okay?" he asked.

"Yes!" She almost screeched it. "Don't stop." The end of the sentence rose into a scream as she orgasmed again. He made a couple of ragged thrusts; all rhythm lost as he orgasmed as well. She felt him hold her hips hard enough to bruise before they both collapsed onto the bed.

After some minutes to get their breath back, he shifted her so that they lay on their sides and her back pressed against his chest. Still buried inside her, he held her close. Her breathing evened out and she fell asleep.

* * *

><p>She was dreaming. She was flying, swooping and soaring over the forest like a bird. Whatever she was, she had good vision, for down in a snow covered clearing she could see a figure standing alone. Her heart knew him. Josh. She dove down to him. Folding her wings down she landed next him and he turned to look at her.<p>

"Izzy."

"Did you take a nap?"

He grinned at her. "You wore me out."

"Uh, huh." She looked around. "I know this place." It was the meadow where she and Edward had lain in the wildflowers; the same clearing where she had met Laurent.

"Good. Does Jake know it?"

"Yes. It's the same clearing where the newborn battle was held and where the guard members spoke to us after the wolves had left." She looked over to the other side of the open space and panicked. "Someone's coming. Should we hide?"

"It's a dream," Josh reassured her. "The normal rules don't apply."

"So… no hiding?"

He smiled at her. "No hiding."

He held his hand out to her and pressed it encouragingly when she took it.

"Jump!" he instructed.

She bent her knees and took off. This time they flew together.

Dark figures in cloaks of gray strode too quickly across the snow. Supernatural speed. She tried to count them but some shifted and moved too fast for her to keep track of them. And they all looked the same, except for two black hooded figures at the rear. They were hedged in by others; sheltered and guarded. One looked up at them and lifted the hood from her head to reveal long blond hair. She looked very fragile to Bella and somehow unsure of herself. As if she had been kept inside for a long time.

"Black cloaks… female… oh, my God, Josh. The wives of the core members. They're bringing the wives. They are all coming."

"We suspected that but the vision confirms it."

"Is it a vision of the future?"

"Of a sort. One of many, perhaps."

"But there's only us here to meet them-"

"And we aren't really _here_. It is more of a message; a showing than an actual future."

"Oh… okay."

She clung to him and they flew home.

* * *

><p>Josh shook himself awake. She slumbered on. He left her, pressing a kiss to her bare shoulder as he climbed carefully out of the bed without disturbing her.<p>

He rang Billy.

"Have you spoken to that lawyer for the Cullens, yet?"

"No. I was about to call him."

"I think they are bringing the wives, as well. At least, that's what Izzy said."

"Ah… okay. The lawyer will know what that means?"

"I don't think so, but the Cullens will."

"Gotcha."

* * *

><p>J. Jenks sweated nervously in his office. His least favorite client was in attendance. His unusually well preserved client and the only one who could order him to open his office between Christmas and New Year. He pressed his palm over his fluttering heart and made a note to himself to make an appointment with his cardiologist.<p>

Jasper Hale had been coming to see him for a long time and Mr Jenks was many things, but he was not a fool. He knew there was something very off about Jasper, but his family paid him a small fortune for forged identifications and legal documents. They often sold their own property to themselves and left it to others in their family in their wills.

Jasper frightened him. It was bad enough when he visited for mercifully short interviews, or to sign something but today he did not have an appointment and he was just hanging around. He had made some cryptic comment about how his wife couldn't be completely certain about the time.

"Time for what?"

"I'll be receivin' a call."

"Oh." Mr Jenks did not know what to say to that. He hoped that Jasper wasn't using his office for something even more illegal than he used it for himself.

He tried to do some paperwork, but he could not concentrate and he shuffled a lot of papers and chewed nervously at his pen. He had given up that habit years ago, he thought.

He jumped when the intercom buzzed.

"A Mr. Billy Black for you J."

"Oh, now. This could be interesting," said Jasper.

J answered the call. He listened for a few seconds. His eyes traveled to Jasper's unmoving figure. He seemed to be listening in.

He shook his head and tried to concentrate on what the man on the phone was saying. "Ahh… serendipitously there is a member of that family in attendance." Mr. Jenks was a lawyer and he liked to sound like one.

Jasper held out his hand for the receiver. "Why don't you go to lunch, J?"

"Yes…" His annoyance at being dismissed from his own office, abated at the realization that he would be away from Jasper. "Good idea."

The terrified man scuttled out of his office for a very late lunch.

"Jasper Whitlock speaking."

"Jasper! It's Billy Black." They had met years ago, when the Cullens and Quileute defeated Victoria.

"What can I do for you, Chief? It's been a while."

"Do we have Alice to thank for this?"

"She found it hard to see, but she knows that black vision means Quileute."

"Of course. Bella is back."

"Back?"

"In La Push."

"Now, that is a surprise."

"Alice has not been tracking her?"

"No. She promised Edward."

"We also had another guest; a tracker from the Volturi."

"You're sure?"

"He mentioned the name of Aro."

"Mercy."

"Indeed. Bella seems certain that he was the tracker called Demetri and that more will come. She said something about broken promises."

Jasper had already started texting Alice as he spoke. "I'm asking Alice if she can 'see' Aro."

"Good."

A text received alarm sounded. "They've lost contact with Demetri… so you might be right." Another beep. "Aro speaks of Bella." Beep. "They will send another scout to Forks. No… two."

"We will patrol."

"I will speak to the family. Can we call you if we have questions?"

"Yes, I am available at this number." Billy recited it for him.

"Got it."

"Our new shaman believes that all of the Volturi will attend."

"All of them?"

"Even the wives, if that makes sense to you."

"They haven't made a decision yet. Alice hasn't seen it."

"I know, but he is confident. Bella suggested that Carlisle may assist us with information."

"I imagine that he will do more than that."

"We would … welcome your assistance… again." Asking for help from vampires obviously still caught in Billy's throat.

Jasper smiled. _"Again_," he added mischievously. "Another team up with the wolves? I'd like that."

"We have more wolves for you to train."

"More?"

"Sixteen new wolves, we estimate, including me." He sounded proud.

Jasper was astonished. "Y-your legs?"

"Healed."

"Carlisle will want to see that for himself. Just hold on a dang minute… you mean older people phased?"

"The wolf parents and relatives."

"Oh, my Lord."

"That's our theory," Billy chuckled. "Our Gods prepare us for a battle. For war."

Jasper knew that the Cullens had also broken a promise to the Volturi, not just Bella. If they were all coming, as the chief had said, then they might be coming for the Cullens as well. It was what he would have done. A large, increasingly powerful coven was threat to them.

"I will call you back as soon as the family consults."

"Thank you."

Jasper hung up the phone. He was already starting to plan military strategy. They would need all the information about the Volturi that they could assemble. Oh, but what he could do with almost thirty wolves! More than two dozen and eight had been formidable enough before. The two newest wolves had guarded the village.

But their first task would be to locate Edward.


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28 - I'll be home for Christmas

_Disclaimer: the characters and all recognisable situations belong to Stephenie Meyer - this is a work of fan fiction, except for the legends and histories of the Quileute that, of course, belong to them. I pay my respects to their gods._

_Thanks to BanSidhe [ruadh sidhe] and Feebes86 for betaing and pre-reading._

* * *

><p><strong>Meanwhile in Volterra.<strong>

The early morning sun streamed in the long narrow window slits of the round castle turret room. The three enormous wooden thrones were occupied, but the rest of the room was devoid of the usual immortal attendants and acolytes. Two of the seated men had long flowing black hair and the third had a head of snow white hair that fell to his shoulders. It almost matched the lightness of his face. They were all very old vampires and the hard marble of their skin had taken on a paper thin quality.

The Volturi council was in session.

Marcus retained his almost permanent expression of utter boredom. Caius, the lighter haired one, looked sour and annoyed.

Aro, who usually found amusement in everything, was not amused by the hunt for Bella Swan. "I was going to send the lovely Bella this necklace." He waved an enormous thick-chained gold necklace with a diamond the size of an egg as the central ornament.

"We know… you told us," Marcus intoned dryly.

"No wedding, no present," Aro piped.

"No vampire," Marcus pointed out. "No chance to insist on their tribute."

Aro made a fluttering gesture with his hand. "And no contact since that rude letter from our old friend Carlisle to say the wedding was canceled."

"They have probably moved on from Forks. We do tend to insist on frequent changes of locale," Marcus said.

"Except for us," Caius pointed out. His eyes were held half closed and he looked like a lizard basking in the sunlight.

"Of course," Aro said. The Volturi had resided in Volterra since medieval times. "Still no word from Demetri?"

Nobody answered him which was answer enough.

Aro was a little concerned, Demetri had to be convinced to join the Volturi, but that was a long time ago. He was a member of the Egyptian coven run by Amun. They were bonded and had worked extensively on improving his tracking ability. Amun should have known better than to have a tracker more skilled than Aro's. Aro declared war on the Egyptian coven and he used the Guard member Chelsea (whose skills were in breaking and re-forming emotional bonds) to break Amun and Demetri's link. When he had defeated them, he left only Amun and Kebe alive. You always have to have survivors to spread the story of your overwhelming defeat.

Chelsea was Aro's most powerful and useful asset and had been with him many years. Most vampires had no idea what she did or how Aro used it to his advantage. She was the power that kept the guard unified and the coven functional.

Distance from Chelsea meant Aro could not know if Demetri's loyalty wavered and he could not use one of his other favorites, Corin to make him feel contentment at staying with them. Like most drugs, Corin's power had a side effect; when people were not exposed to it for a long period of time they went through withdrawal and felt physically uncomfortable. Demetri had been away and alone for too long.

He should send someone else to Forks to investigate. Someone he could afford to lose. "Send Santiago to Forks," he announced.

"Why?" Caius growled.

"Demetri's last contact was to say that the errant Isabella may have returned to Forks."

"Could _he_ have joined the Olympic coven?"

"Oh, my old friend Carlisle. How I miss him. But I doubt that his unorthodox path would appeal to Demetri."

"Santiago is not a tracker."

"He doesn't need to be to ask a few questions." But he was very strong. Not quite in Felix's range but he was also extremely fast. Edward Cullen was also known for his speed as well as his mind reading ability. Aro grinned as he recalled Edward Cullen and his amazing gifts.

Aro loved to collect vampires with skills as others collected precious jewels and he was so looking forward to collecting one or two of Carlisle's Olympic coven. They were getting too large and too powerful. They had influenced others to follow their odd diet; vegetarian vampires, who had heard of such a thing? Ah now, the Denali coven in Alaska might know of Carlisle's whereabouts. They were friends and even embraced his love of humans to the point of adopting his diet.

Aro's grin faded to a sulky expression. "No… send him to Denali."

"Denali?" Marcus asked.

"Perhaps our other old friend, Eleazar has some news?"

Eleazar had been a Volturi guard. He was given a cloak for his ability to sense the special talents of others. His job was to detect if any threatening coven had any members with extra gifts and then pass that knowledge on to Aro so he could target them or steal them. He would also be sent around the world to look for any human or vampire with useful talents to add to the coven, but his nature was too gentle and he wasn't entirely happy with their methods. An argument that he was serving the greater good by working with those who would uphold the law only held until he met Carmen. They became mates. Because Carmen had no interest in joining the Volturi and vice versa, and was troubled by the violence of Eleazar's everyday life, he asked for Aro's permission to leave the coven. Aro didn't like the idea but nonetheless gave Eleazar his blessing, believing that he would return to the guard if Aro ever needed him.

It might be the right time to remind Eleazar that he still thought of him.

"Yes," Aro said decisively. "To Denali."

"And how… exactly… will that help us find out what happened to Demetri?" Marcus asked in his usual pointed fashion. "He may have information on Carlisle, but that will be all."

"Fine. Denali _first_, then to Forks."

"Alone?" Caius asked in a flat whisper.

Aro made a dismissive hand gesture. "Send one of the other guard as well."

"Afton?" Caius asked.

"No!" Aro could not risk damage to Afton. He was Chelsea's mate, and if anything happened to him, she would leave. He only had his position in the guard because of his mate. "No. One of the others. Get the secretary… what is her name? Gianna? To book flights for them."

"We ate Gianna," said Caius.

"Oh, yes… whatever the new girl's name is." Aro fiddled with his brocade sleeves.

Marcus watched him even though he was pretending to be bored, as he always did. He had guessed at Aro's desire to possess Edward Cullen's little human.

Aro had even asked her to join the guard. She had refused and had shielded her thoughts from him and Jane.

It was this gift that Aro wanted. Mostly so that she was where he could see her and use her. She was the strongest shield he had ever seen as a human. Once she was turned, her gift would be enhanced. It was entirely possible that she could expand that shield to protect another. Another… say, like Aro.

He had a body guard, but she needed to actually physically touch him to do it. Her extra talent was in repelling other vampires. They would be possessed by a sudden urge to walk the other way. The two worked well as a body guard, but the physical touch was both limiting and personally embarrassing. Aro made her stand behind him with her palm against his back so it wasn't obvious, but as a result, he could not make dramatic movements or sudden gestures without risking loss of contact.

And he loved to make dramatic gestures.

Add to that, his gift of mind reading worked on contact and he was terminally bored with seeing every thought that had ever crossed Renata's mind.

Plus, an Isabella shield could potentially cover herself _and_ him. Maybe even other core members. If she was averse to such an idea then Chelsea could bind her and Corin could make sure that she stayed.

Lucky Caius and Marcus could not read his mind because he was tired of them both and he had plans to eliminate them.

It was time for a change.

Jane and Alec would leap at the chance to become a core member rather than a senior guard and they were both far more useful than his current companions. The twins were flexible, strong and ruthless. And they would be loyal to him if they got such an opportunity.

Caius was a liability. His capacity for cruelty and hate had initially been an attraction to Aro, but his rabid persecution of werewolves had nearly exposed them all. He had no psychic gifts; and Aro did so love gifts. He had also been up to something when he had sent Jane and Alec and some other members of the guard off on a little trip to Seattle. News of the dozens of deaths and disappearances had reached them quickly. The consensus was that someone was making newborn vampires.

A touch of Felix's hand had shown the truth. They had met with the rebellious Victoria and had let her newborn army attack the Olympic coven on Cauis' orders. Aro would never have risked damage to his potential jewels; the gifted Alice especially, plus Edward and Isabella. But, luckily they had come through the battle unscathed.

Aro would not forget.

Marcus' gift, on the other hand, judged the strength of relationships. The flaw, naturally, being that he could not see his own. The bonds between Marcus and Aro had weakened in recent centuries.

Aro tapped a delicate forefinger against his lip. He had killed Marcus' wife to keep him from leaving the Volturi. She had a gift as well; she had spread happiness to all she came in contact with and Marcus had utterly adored her. But Aro needed him, his gift was very useful in a battle situation, and they had many of those at that time, so she had to die. A happy Marcus was not willing to fight. But it had literally been centuries since the Volturi had been in a battle and Marcus was less useful.

The fact that the adored wife he had killed was Aro's own sister was irrelevant.

* * *

><p>The Cullens reacted to the news Jasper repeated, the way they usually did: Alice was annoyed that the wolves blocked her visions, Emmett was excited, Rose apathetic, Esme sympathetic and eager to help somehow, and Carlisle was distracted by the news that Billy had phased and as a result, healed his diabetes.<p>

"The chance to do such a thing for the whole of humanity," Carlisle gushed.

"They are werewolves, not lab rats," Esme chided.

"He said the parents phased. We had thought it was a youth thing. I need to take some blood samples."

"Yes. You could get the opportunity to do that yourself if we return to Forks," Jasper suggested.

Alice gave him a look.

"We never did sell that house," said Esme. "Or that lovely stone cottage we built for the two of them." She looked dejected for a minute.

Jasper knew Rose was conflicted. She was proud of Bella for staying human but hurt for her abandoned brother.

"A fight!" Emmett crowed. "I am sooo gonna be in that!"

Jasper silently hoped so, too.

"This isn't our fight," Rose argued.

"I am very much afraid that it is." Carlisle said. "And not just because we broke our word to Aro, but also because we have a treaty with the Quileute."

Rose frowned. "I don't remember a clause about kicking Volturi ass."

"The intent is there," Carlisle said.

"We _have_ to help them, the poor things," Esme said.

Rose rolled her eyes. Once Esme made her mind up, Carlisle would agree with her the way he always did.

"What about Edward?" Alice asked. After the wedding fiasco, Edward had left the family; demanding solitude. It had only been five years, the blink of an eye for a vampire and they hadn't made contact with him in all that time, respectful of his wishes.

Carlisle said, "We can get a message to him. I know that you know where he is. He asked you for your silence, but he would want to be involved in this situation."

Jasper snorted. "It's Bella. He'll help."

Carlisle looked sad. "I have no doubt of it."

"Oh, come on, Rose," Emmett begged.

"I did want her to stay human," she conceded. "I suppose I ought to make sure she stays that way."

"Woo hoo. Atta girl."

He and Jasper fist bumped.

"We were going to take out Demetri, remember? You reckon he'll be coming?" Emmett asked.

"The wolves say they took him out already."

"Seriously? Wow."

"They must have been practicing."

Carlisle didn't seem to hear anyone. "Yes, definitely some blood samples… and I want to see if Jacob has any arthritis symptoms after all those broken bones… hmm." He wandered off distractedly.

Jasper studied his mate; she seemed unaccountably sad. "Darlin'?" he asked.

"This will be a fight, won't it?"

"Probably. Can you see it?"

She shook her head. "Just darkness."


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29 - I'll be home for Christmas

_Disclaimer: the characters and all recognisable situations belong to Stephenie Meyer - this is a work of fan fiction, except for the legends and histories of the Quileute that, of course, belong to them. I pay my respects to their gods._

_Thanks to BanSidhe [ruadh sidhe] and Feebes86 for betaing and pre-reading._

* * *

><p>Bella woke up, stretched, rolled and reached out for Josh to find the bed empty. A glance around confirmed the cabin was empty too. She got dressed quickly and found a note from Josh stuck to the lamp. 'Pack meeting w Jake'.<p>

He didn't say where the meeting was but she felt as if she could find him anyway; some kind of sixth sense - perhaps from the imprint. She headed towards Jake's place and found a few of the pack in the backyard.

"Hey Bells," Jake called. "We're just running through some ideas with the ones who haven't got anywhere else to be."

That appeared to be Seth, Embry and Quil.

"Seth didn't see anything on patrol and the oldies are off running about now," Jake added.

"Man, they are funny," Seth commented.

"Crashing around in the forest," Quil noted. "They'll scare everything away for miles around."

Embry smiled. "They are pretty amusing."

Bella stood next to Josh and mock pouted. "You left me."

"You were asleep." He kissed her and her arms closed around his waist to pull him closer. His hands ran down her hair and he leaned in to whisper in her ear what he wanted to do to her later when she was awake.

She chuckled throatily.

A small boy ran towards them, his little chubby legs pounding the ground. "Gran'pa awake!" he shouted.

"Hey, Nate." Josh picked him up and swung him around in the air. The small child roared with laughter.

Sam followed him and he and Josh greeted each other. Josh shifted Nate to sit him on his hip before he turned to introduce Nate to Bella. "Nate this is…" he stopped.

"Bella," Sam said.

"Izzy," Josh said.

Nate frowned at her, momentarily confused by the different names. But he noticed that Josh had his arm around her and he had clearly seen them kissing. "Gran'ma?" he asked. He leaned sideways to look at her.

Sam snorted.

Jake guffawed.

Bella looked non plussed and then she got it together. "Hi Nate." She shook his hand solemnly.

"He knows that grandmas and grandpas go together," Sam tried to explain.

Jake continued to laugh.

"What?" she hissed at him.

"He's three. You don't shake his hand."

"Oh." She brushed her hand down her clothing, clearly annoyed with Jake. "It's never too early to learn good manners."

Jake laughed so hard Bella thought he might break something.

Josh was looking at her with a look on his face as if she had just done the most adorable thing ever and he loved her even more.

"I'm not good with kids," she blustered. "And I am younger than Sam so I can't be his grandma."

"Right," said Seth. "Even if you are _totally_ with his grandpa."

"Ahhh…"

"It's okay, Bella," Sam said. "You get a few months before the arrival date to bone up on kids."

"What arrival date?" she asked in a panicked tone.

Jake laughed harder.

"It's okay, honey," Josh told her.

"It's not that I don't want kids… I'm just not ready right now."

Josh shook his head. "You're not pregnant; we'd know. And why is Jake so amused?"

Jake wiped his eyes as Embry explained, "Bells used to be obsessed with age and terrified of getting older. She panicked about turning eighteen and ever finding a gray hair. It's her worst nightmare to be a grandmother at twenty four."

"I'm _not_ a grandmother."

"Bells?" Nate asked, as yet another name for her was used.

"I call her Izzy, Jake calls her Bells, but her real name is Bella," Josh told Nate. "Does Daddy call Mom something different?"

Nate thought about it and then his face brightened. "He calls her Emily."

"There you go."

The meeting, such as it was, fell apart after that. Jake was going to meet Angela's parents and no one had any real ideas about what to do simply because they didn't know enough about the enemy.

They were all waiting on the Cullens getting back to them.

* * *

><p>Jake and Angela were deliriously happy. He passed the introduction to her family test with flying colors. Angela's father Reverend Weber knew of Jake and knew how much he had done for his father as a boy and his community as an adult. He was very impressed by the next Chief of the Quileute tribe.<p>

The twins were eight years younger than Angela at fifteen and still at High School. When they met Jake they had a few gob smacked moments - they had never seen a guy as big as Jake before - but they got over it and had him out in the yard playing football in no time.

Angela's mother watched her daughter's eyes follow Jake's every move and smiled knowingly. She had been concerned that her only daughter would move away from their home town and her family, but she was willing to bet that she would be, at most, an hour's drive away, out at the reservation. Not that she ever took a bet.

* * *

><p>Edward was attending a music school in Denmark. Of course, Alice knew exactly where. She knew that he had eschewed modern communication devices, but she also knew the location of his favorite haunt; a coffee shop that encouraged performances of poetry. There was a used book store next door that specialized in sheet music.<p>

"Heaven for Edward," Jasper said.

Alice contacted the coffee shop and asked them to give him a message to the distinctive copper haired boy, the next time he came in. She knew it would be within the hour. The message just said 'Bella in danger' and listed her number.

He called and within minutes was on his way to meet them.

* * *

><p>Josh and Bella spent the evening together before she fell asleep. He promised to join her later.<p>

Bella was dreaming that she was back in Volterra stumbling through the darkened stone passageways. Talk of the Volturi and knowing Demetri had got so close to her, had brought her back here; back inside the awful memories of that day. Her hands pressed against the rough hewn wall of the stone chamber as a large group of tourists were led past her. Heidi and Demetri stopped to talk and she marveled at the beauty of the female vampire.

She heard Aro's voice ring out, "Welcome guests. Welcome to Volterra."

She knew they weren't guests. They were humans inside the heart of the vampire world; one in which she had just escaped death for even knowing they existed. These guests would not _ever _be leaving.

Forty or more people swarmed past her. Some with cameras taking shots of the interesting castle; the last thing they would ever see. She had been distressed at the time it happened, but she had never thought of these people again, not before her wedding and not up until now. She saw their faces so clearly. She hadn't even thought about the 'catering' for the non-vegetarian guests invited to her wedding. Who were they intending to snack on? All she had cared about was her beautiful statue-like fiancee, Edward. Even her reasons for canceling it were selfish at the time.

And now she saw every one of those people. Their faces in exquisite detail. Some intrigued, some confused, some looking almost disappointed that the castle hadn't met their expectation. And that one small dark woman, clutching her crucifix and asking questions in a foreign language no one understood or cared to reply to as she got more panicked and nervous.

In this dream Edward and Alice were not there to know what would happen and hurry her away, hiding her face so that she could not see. This time she did not escape that room before the screaming started. She stood with her back pressed to the wall and she watched as the eager vampires tore into the assembled tourists.

"Izzy?"

Josh's voice! He couldn't be here; they would hurt him. She pushed him away - tried to make him not see this - she had to protect him. She pushed him out and shut the door on him.

She screamed and she flailed. The smell of blood made her gag. She couldn't breathe. She couldn't run. She could only fight against the arms that held her too tightly as all the people died.

Another scream finally escaped her throat and woke her up.

"Izzy!" Josh shouted at her. "It's all right… it's just a nightmare… You're safe, Izzy… you're here with me."

She inhaled a gasping, dragging breath and she sobbed.

He peppered her face with kisses, rocking her in his arms until she finally quieted enough to answer his questions.

"What on earth was that?"

"Did you see?" Her throat closed tight in her distress. The words escaped as a whisper.

"I tried but I couldn't reach you. You threw me out. How did you do that?"

"I didn't want you to die."

"Oh, honey… it was a dream. I can't die in your dream."

"No… not just a dream; a memory."

His face froze. "Oh, Jesus, Izzy. Tell me." He passed her a box of tissues. "Tell me… when you're ready."

Wrapped in his arms, warm and safe she told him. The story came out in stilted words and long pauses but he waited patiently and he only shivered once, fighting the desire to phase, until she had finished.

"…I sobbed into one of their cloaks that they had given Edward to cover himself. You see Heidi was so beautiful, and so elegant; she attracted people to her. She would bring them from miles away to Volterra. Edward said she was a fisher. It was her job to bring people to that room with a drain in the floor… to feed them."

He was silent and then he took a deep breath. "You heard it?"

"Yes, I didn't see it. Edward and Alice rushed me out of the room. I heard it… " She stared at nothing. "Screaming and screaming. But Josh, all I felt was relief that we weren't killed. It never occurred to me to report it to anyone."

"Oh, honey."

"More than forty people. I don't know where they came from or if they had families who missed them."

"How could you report it? Who would have believed you - and if you did, you'd be breaking the secret again."

"And they'd have another reason to kill me."

"Yes."

"I never even thought about them again… but now I can see their faces. The wonder that they were inside the old castle on a special tour…" she shuddered. "How could a whole bus load of tourists disappear… there were children with them. Families."

"Shhh." He hugged her, rubbing his palms down her arms. Gooseflesh had broken out on her skin.

"Some of them were Americans. How can they get away with this?"

"And for so long, plus they'd need to bring in hundreds of people… thousands to feed the number of vampires that live there. I don't know how they do it, they must glamor any investigators that come to them. They couldn't just eat them."

"No, that would be suspicious."

"This is why we exist."

"To kill them? to stop them feeding on people?"

"Yes. To stop them from killing any more people."

"I feel awful now. I don't know if I was crying then for them or for me."

"It was probably a shock reaction, too. You had dealt with too much that day." He kissed her. "Are you okay, now?"

"I don't want to go back to sleep."

"I can understand that. Do you want a hot drink?"

"Yes, please."

She huddled under a throw in the lounge and watched him bustle around the kitchenette. They curled up on the sofa together; her chilled hands wrapped around the warm mug.

He kissed her hair. "In that meeting in front of the tribe, I had to hang on to you to reassure myself and my wolf that you were human and okay. And every time you tell me something else - which, by the way, I do not want you to stop doing - I am just overwhelmed by the thought that I might have lost you. That you might not be here."

"I'm here."

"I know."

Silence for a beat.

"But what I want to know," he added. "Is how you protected me from that?"

"I shielded you?"

"Yeah… maybe." He looked thoughtful.


	30. Chapter 30

**Chapter 30 - I'll be home for Christmas**

_Disclaimer: the characters and all recognisable situations belong to Stephenie Meyer - this is a work of fan fiction, except for the legends and histories of the Quileute that, of course, belong to them. I pay my respects to their gods._

_Thanks to BanSidhe [ruadh sidhe] and Feebes86 for betaing and pre-reading._

* * *

><p>Alice's vision showed that Santiago wasn't in Volterra and Aro insisted that he was the one to go the United States, so it took him a day or so to get back from North Africa and to get his instructions. Another junior guard with no psychic gifts was appointed to accompany him. They waited until after dark to leave for Rome and catch a commercial flight to Anchorage, Alaska. The flight from Rome to Alaska took eleven hours and then the pair had to travel out to Denali. They stole a car and drove out in five hours. They did not warn the coven that they were coming.<p>

Alice didn't tell them either, she knew the guards only wanted information.

* * *

><p>Jasper rang Billy and said that they had contacted Edward and were waiting for him to join them. The family would only act if Edward voted for it.<p>

"I can pretty much assure you that we will be there, but we'd prefer to wait for Edward's decision. It will take him a day or so to reach us and maybe a few more days for the next two guards to reach the US. They haven't left yet. Alice thinks they will touch down on the 1st."

"I understand. Thank you."

"You can have a party for New Years' Eve."

"We might light a bonfire or two."

"Oh, Emmett wants to know if you killed Demetri?"

"Yes. He ran into a patrol of three wolves: Embry, Quil and Paul."

Jake, who was listening in, fist pumped at his father.

"Awww… dammit," Emmett complained in the background.

Billy chuckled. "Tell him Paul complained about the velvet getting stuck in his teeth."

"He would," Jasper said.

"The next one's ours," Emmett called out. "Then we are level pegging."

"Bring it on, yellow eyed devil," Jake called back.

"Do you want me to make you a dog bowl, boy?" Emmett retorted.

* * *

><p>Candie, the girl Quil had helped with her flat tire, proved to be more tenacious than anyone had thought she'd be. They were trying to shut the borders of the rez, but she got through somehow. She came looking for Quil and she turned up at the shop to ask directions to his house. Luckily for her, it was her first stop.<p>

Quil, who lived out the back, heard her voice. He came rushing around; the door slammed behind him, before he stopped, stared at her and blurted out, "What are you doing here?"

"Looking for you; you big silly."

"But… you … can't."

Joy Ateara looked at her son's face and knew this girl was special to him, plus, she'd tracked him down. She wasn't going to be leaving without a fuss. "She's here now, Quil. Don't be rude."

"Mom… this is Candie. With an 'ie'."

"Oh, is she _your_ mom?"

"Yeah."

"Hi!" she gushed at Joy.

"Hello," Joy said carefully.

Quil looked so nervous and Joy took pity on him. "What lovely nails," she said. "Did you do them yourself?"

"Yes. I get a real kick out of it. I've done a beautician's course. I'd do your nails, if you'd like."

"Mine get so damaged with working in the shop and doing the housework. There's nothing there to do."

"You need to wear gloves and drink more water, but a nice soak in olive oil will help and a simple French manicure."

Quil looked confused. He had no idea what they were talking about but he was pleased to see they were talking.

Candie smiled at him and patted him on the arm. "I can't call you Mom," she said to Joy.

"It's Joy."

Candie stayed. She moved into Quil's apartment and with pack permission, he told her all about the wolves. She told him that she always knew he was an animal.

Quil encouraged her to think about doing a few more beauty courses.

* * *

><p>Angela was ready to tick another item off her La Push wish list. She had planned for a beauty salon or a massage place.<p>

"Who does hairdressing?" she asked Jake as she frowned at her list.

"Really?" Jake said. "You have an actual written out wish list? Let me see that."

"I do. See!" She waved the piece of paper in front of him.

"She does massages, too. She's perfect!" she told Jake. "We can set her up somewhere later, and in the meantime she can offer massages to tired and worn out townspeople or pack members. And when everything has settled down, she can do the same for tourists. People love to spoil themselves when they are on vacation."

"Regardless, she's staying. I don't think Quil is going to give her up."

"But she's not an imprint… right?"

Jake just shook his head.

* * *

><p>Josh got up early, phased and headed off to help Billy out with his pack. No one knew what to call the elder pack. They were new to the wolf world but not exactly new to anything else so 'new' pack didn't work. 'Elder pack' made it sound like they knew what they were doing and they didn't and it got confusing with the actual tribal elders, some of whom were not wolves, so that was out. Last gen pack sounded like a star trek series name and <em>they<em> objected to that. Someone called them the forties and that stuck. It was easy to remember, one word, and for most of them, appropriate.

Imprinting had proved less problematic for the Forties. Most wolves latched onto their current partner if they imprinted at all. Billy and Lucas, who were both single at the time, had imprints from the other pack and Niki Lahote had ended up with Joy when both were single. Everyone was thankful that they didn't have another Sam/Leah/Emily mess. Only one went at a tangent. Jennie Black, one of the twins, imprinted on her neighbor, not her husband. Billy spoke to her about it and she confessed that her marriage was all but over. The imprint had just broken it apart along cracks that already existed. She and the neighbor had been attracted to each other, but hadn't done anything about it in deference to Jennie's husband. So, in a way the imprint pushed one couple to end things and another to start. It was an amicable split and Jennie just moved in next door.

Although most of the Forties weren't acting their age or being as sensible as Jennie. They were rejuvenated and enthusiastic about everything. Scampering about La Push literally poking their noses into everything. Their children were caught out constantly in the lies they had told their parents for years. Parents could now smell which friends they had been with, if they were having sex, if they were smoking, what they had eaten. Who took the last piece of brownie, and so on.

None of them were very happy about it.

When Josh found the Forties, he saw Billy's wolf sitting there with the dumbest look on its face.

Josh looked from him to the rest of the pack.

_Billy?_

_Look at them, Josh._

He looked. The girls were swanning back and forth in front of each other. He couldn't work out what they were doing until he 'tuned in' to the pack through Billy's head.

_Look at you._

_Wow, that color looks great on you and your feet are so small. Look at __**my**__ big paws. They're huge!_

_I love your tail. It is the perfect spring accessory, don't you think, girls?_

_I feel so strong. I will never need another guy to open a jar for me ever again._

_And everything tastes so good. I have a thousand extra taste buds._

_I can eat as much cheesecake as I like and just run it off._

_And everything has lifted with all the new muscles I am developing. Know what I mean, girls?_

They all laughed raucously.

_Oh, I know and my husband loves it. As well as all the new energy I've got._

_I can't sleep. I want to try everything._

_He says it's like being married to me at twenty again._

_Careful. Or we will wear them out._

_He'll drop dead of a heart attack one night._

_At least, he'll go happy._

Then he tried listening to the guys.

_Did all women smell this good before?_

_Wow, my recovery time is brilliant now. And I am always up for it, if you get my meaning._

_Everything is in good working order. No more getting up in the middle of the night to piss, eh?_

_And then not being able to._

_Yeah and my creaky knees don't creak anymore._

_My dodgy shoulder is all fixed up, too. Remember I kept dislocating it, doing Eskimo rolls in the kayak?_

_Won't need a kayak now. I reckon we could go down the rapids without one._

_With minimal damage-_

_And that'll heal anyway._

_Josh: They are reveling in this, Billy._

_They're alive._

There was one wolf that seemed to be less impressed by their new lupine form.

_Josh: Wassup Lucas?_

_Nothing._

He radiated dejection and worry that he wasn't good enough or attractive enough because his imprint had rejected him. It was in stark contrast to the rest of the pack who were all so happy.

_Josh: I need to talk to Brady._

_Billy: do what you can. Jake said Embry spoke to him but …_ he gave a kind of mental shrug.

_Should I ask how Leah is?_

_I wouldn't._

_Okay then._

Josh made a mental note to talk to Embry as well.

He tracked down Brady and asked him if they could talk. "Are you going to just ignore Lucas? Can you try to talk to him?"

"No."

"We don't know why you are… paired," he tried. "You don't have to be lovers. You know the thing with imprints."

"Be anything you want them to be lover, friend etcetera," Brady parroted.

"Yeah."

"He wants to be lovers."

"You don't know that until you talk to him."

"I do. He's so… submissive and I know he's gay."

Frustrated, Josh brushed a hand through his hair. "Yes, I suppose he is both of those things, but he's still a wolf, Brady and that means submissive to him may mean a whole lot more than to a non wolf."

Brady's eyes narrowed. "Oh, you're good. You said non wolf instead of human."

"I did, because we _are_ still human."

Brady had to allow him that. And he wasn't talking out of his ass, he was a wolf too. "I thought this was all about breeding? How is _that_ going to work with two guys?"

"I wouldn't be so sure about that. And in any case, that is easily fixed."

Brady gave him a quizzical look.

"I knew a lesbian couple that used a willing donor and a turkey baster to have their baby."

Brady blinked. "You know I will never look at a turkey baster the same ever again."

"Sure. Like you ever look at turkey basters?"

Brady chuckled; it sounded forced but it was a laugh. "So all we need is a baby oven?"

"Something like that."

"How did it work out for them?"

"My friends? Well, the donor was was one girl's brother and the other woman carried the child, so that they were always a part of both families, right from the start. Even looked a bit like both his mothers."

"That's kind of sweet."

Embry approached almost silently, the way all the pack could but the others knew he was there.

"We've got patrol, Brady."

Josh patted Brady on the shoulder. "Just talk to him."

"Sure, sure," Brady muttered before jogging off to do his patrol.

"Hold on, Embry," Josh said. "Bella invited you for dinner tonight. I have no idea what she will cook-"

"But it will be better than being alone."

"Are you okay?"

"Yep."

"Sure?"

"Yep."

"Embry, if you wanted… I could help you with Leah?"

"Help? How?"

"I'm not sure, but I might be able to protect you from her or her memories."

"No, thank you."

"Are you sure about that?"

"Yes. It hurts… but I don't want to forget her."

"She hasn't forgotten you."

"I know. And she hasn't asked for a mind wipe. She never will."

"She's so-" Josh searched for a word. "- strong."

"Yeah, she is. People think she's a hard bitch but she isn't. She's just had a pile of shit put on her so far."

"And it still continues."

"If you see an imprint as shit… yeah."

"I'd advise you to be patient."

Embry gave a bitter chuckle. "I always am."

"Well, sometimes that works out."

"Yes." He smiled at the man who had accepted him as his son. "Later, then."

"Yeah. I have a study session with Old Quil."


	31. Chapter 31

**Chapter 31 - I'll be home for Christmas**

_Disclaimer: the characters and all recognisable situations belong to Stephenie Meyer - this is a work of fan fiction, except for the legends and histories of the Quileute that, of course, belong to them. I pay my respects to their gods._

_Thanks to BanSidhe [ruadh sidhe] and Feebes86 for betaing and pre-reading._

* * *

><p>Describing Bella's nightmare to Old Quil helped Josh work out exactly what had happened when she blocked him.<p>

"The poor thing. She is much stronger than anyone thought," the old man said. "To have dealt with such things." He shook his head sadly.

"And to not go mad. I know. And she was alone for the last few years."

"So what are you asking?"

"She said the vampire gifts did not affect her."

"In the meeting, yes."

"What if she can expand that shield to protect others?"

"I see."

"In the dream, she protected me. What if she can do it in real life?"

"And protect you from the vampires-"

"Or maybe even the pack if we can tap into the alpha mind."

"It has possibilities. You felt as if she had put you behind a door?"

"That's what it felt like."

"I am certain there has been nothing like this before."

Josh and Old Quil spent a bit of time discussing Bella's shield ability and how it might work. They also tried to think what herbs or blessings could help accentuate it. They also thought about how they could work with her. If it was something she could do, like flexing a muscle, then she needed to work at it to make it stronger.

* * *

><p>Embry liked living alone. Working at the tourist shop meant his mother, Tiffany often brought home trinkets and things that she thought were cute. It hadn't taken long for the house to look like an extension of the shop and the smell of hot glue gun made his nose itch.<p>

Embry classified all of it as junk and it went in the trash.

He had a big clean up and fixed a few other things he had never agreed with plus, trashed quite a few more things. The house now looked Spartan. Just the way he liked it.

He drew up some lists and sketched out a few ideas on how he could improve the place. Repaint and so on. And then he got depressed when he thought about if he had a future. He had, up until recently imagined that his future would be with Leah. Not that they had been very public about being together. Now he wasn't so sure that any of them had a future.

He shook himself and headed over to the cabin to have dinner with Josh and Bella.

* * *

><p>Bella snorted as she sprinkled Parmesan cheese on her pasta. "Ha! Look at me eating pasta. I was in Italy for a day and never got to eat any there."<p>

Josh and Embry exchanged a look.

"All this talk of Italy keeps reminding me of things," she added.

"Uh huh," said Josh looking a little nervous.

Embry concentrated on eating.

"On the plane on the way to Italy, to rescue Edward, Alice offered to just change me herself."

"Into a vampire?" The fork stopped part way to Josh's mouth.

"Yes."

"And… I leapt at the chance. I wanted her to do it on the plane, right then and there."

"That wouldn't have been very practical. What about the other passengers?"

"You would have been screaming in pain for three days," Embry pointed out.

"And I would have been utterly useless to her trying to help Edward in any case. She refused, obviously."

"Obviously."

Embry gave Josh side eye.

"She told me I was so bizarre even for a human."

Embry snorted.

"No… wait… it gets worse. At that point I believed that Edward _didn't_ love me."

"Shit, yeah. I'd forgotten that." Embry reached out to serve second helpings.

"He had dumped me and moved his family away. I was running to save him and I honestly thought he felt nothing for me."

Josh frowned.

Bella started slicing more bread, waving the bread knife around as she talked. "I don't know what I was going to do but I remember thinking that he could run after his distractions, as I thought of them - I had no idea that he was trying to hunt Victoria on his own - and that I would run after him. I would be so beautiful and strong that he wouldn't need any distractions and that he'd love me again."**

Josh's face was frozen as if he didn't know how to react to that.

Embry watched carefully.

She huffed out a breath. "Fuck. What was I thinking? How ridiculous. If he had actually gone off to do other things or be with other people, I would have kept chasing him! I would have been the worst stalker in the world because I would have been a _vampire_ stalker."

Josh heaved a sigh of relief.

"I mean that's just … nuts… right? Can you imagine?"

"You _really_ needed to grow up," Josh suggested.

"I know. And I nearly didn't give myself the chance."

Embry grinned at her.

"Ugh… I would have been that stupid and self centered forever!"

"Nobody's suggesting that," said Josh diplomatically.

"Fuck it, I'm suggesting that."

* * *

><p>"Josh?" Bella said quietly. She was reading a book on the sofa but she hadn't turned a page in minutes. He was reading in bed with books propped around him. Embry had gone home hours ago.<p>

He glanced up at her. Took one look at her face, and asked, "What's the matter?"

"What's the matter with me?"

"How do you mean?"

"All this stuff coming back now… all these memories and nightmares. I feel so… weak. I held it together for years. By myself!"

"Izzy, I think you did hold it together … but only just …and now when you feel safe, you can let yourself feel things again."

"What are we going to do?"

"Come here." He held his arm up to her.

She hurried to him and lay down next to him with her head on his chest.

"Talk to me," he said.

"I'm so frightened."

"I know."

"We don't know what's going to happen. Who might-" She couldn't finish that sentence.

"I know." He pulled her closer; snugged her in against him. "Might be one of us?"

"I hope it's me; I'd never survive losing you."

"Oh, Izzy." He kissed her forehead. "You're stronger than you think you are."

"I don't feel strong. The whole thing terrifies me."

"That doesn't make you weak, just smart."

"These… people -" She said people as if she wasn't sure what to call them. "- are thousands of years old. They have skills we can't compete with, assuming we even know about them."

"It's not your fault."

"It is," she whispered. "Italy. That whole thing. Exposed the Cullens to them, exposed me, and made us bargain our futures for our lives."

"You had no choice."

"If we had just died, then-"

"Hey!" He held her so tight it hurt her. "Don't talk like that."

Bella made a small noise as her breath caught in her throat.

"Let me tell you how I see it," Josh said. He thought for a little while before he spoke again. She waited.

"Don't answer me, just think about what I'm asking. Why did the Cullens come here? Out of all the places in the world that they could have chosen to live, why did they end up here. The first time, back in what was it, 1936 when they made the treaty? Why here? With the one group of people in the entire world who were their enemies? Who could actually tear them apart."

"I don't know, but it does seem odd."

"So, I think the Gods had a very long game planned. The safer vampires came here, triggering the change in the tribe without actually harming them or fighting with them. The tribe changes, the old stories are resurrected, the tribe prepares-"

"Like a test run?"

"If you like. Then the Cullens come back again. Within living memory. Old Quil remembers them. He was a boy when they signed the treaty. And Billy remembers seeing his grandfather phase with the last pack. Why risk that? How careful are the Cullens normally?"

"They are very careful. You're right."

"And they came back years before you moved here."

"Yes. So?"

"So that when you arrived, all the pieces were on the board and then-" he lifted her under the arms and held her face up to his, "-the queen steps onto the board."

"I'm not the queen."

"You're my queen."

He kissed her. She climbed over him to straddle his body where he lay on the bed. When she drew her head back he brushed her hair out of her face.

She frowned and sat back a little.

"What?" he asked.

"What made me move here?"

"Now, you're thinking. What else changed in your life?"

"My mother, Renee met Phil and they got married. She dated on and off for years but had never had anyone serious. He went on tour; he plays baseball for a minor league team. She would have stayed with me, but I got the idea that she'd like to go with him."

"What else changed?"

"The Cullens. When they signed the treaty I think there was only five of them. Alice and Jasper joined them after that."

"Two of their more powerful members."

"Yes. So they grew, others embraced their lifestyle too, like the Denali coven."

"So they grew more powerful? Until the Cullens with the right combination of Quileute can be a true opponent for the Volturi."

She looked at him perceptively. "We know they are all coming."

"Every last one of them, yes. They are risking everything. The battle is not only against the Cullens and us, it is against other people who want to be more _like _the Cullens."

"The Denali clan are large, too. Probably the third in size after the Cullens."

"They are the same?"

"They follow the same diet, yes and they are a family."

"Yes, and the Volturi need other things to bind people to them; fear and hate not love and affection, like in a family."

"It's a demonstration."

"To all the vampires. Yes. They cannot afford to leave a single pawn off the field of battle. This demonstration is for all the Volturi members as much as for other vampire covens. And any member of the Volturi having second thoughts."

"Oh, my God. They really will bring everyone; even the wives. Just like we saw in the dream."

"Like all battles that really matter, it helps to have their loved ones there."

"If they say the wives are safe here near us, then we are no real danger to anyone. You know the thing - look I am bringing my wife. She's safe so you'll be fine."

"Right. They mean to sledgehammer us."

She looked deadly serious. "Josh, we have to beat them."

"Yes, we do. Even if it means we lose some people."

"If we beat them, what if there is a power vacuum? After they are gone?"

"If another coven tries to replace the Volturi, it would take thousands of years before they are at the same level of power and membership numbers, especially with peaceful human-loving covens being the next largest groups."

"Peace."

"Regardless, they are coming. If we do not fight, we all die."

He was playing with her hair as she lay on his chest.

"I'm not the queen. She's the most powerful piece on the board. I don't know much about chess but I know that."

"Exactly. And you are wrong. The whole thing rests on you. You're the key. As you say, none of this would have happened except for you."

She sighed.

"You didn't finish saying what made you move here," he reminded her.

"I was in the middle of my senior years in a big well-supplied high school in Arizona and I moved to Forks. A town with less than three thousand people and in the middle of the school year. And I moved from Arizona to Washington to live with a parent I had rarely seen and only for a few weeks a year."

"Think, Izzy. What made you do that?"

She sat up and looked down at him. She looked very serious.

He waited.

"It was a dream," she whispered. "What put us both in Seattle at the same time?"

"What made me go to that bar?"

"What made Angela start looking for me?"

"What made me give my number to such a gorgeous young thing?"

She gave a strained chuckle. "Pfft. I bet you pick up younger women all the time."

"Not usually as young as you. But what sent us all those messages? What laid all the ideas in our heads?"

"Dreams."

"Yes. We are the chess pieces."

"Even the Cullens?"

He nodded. "Even the Cullens."

"Carlisle believes in a god. He thinks or hopes, that his good deeds on earth will counterbalance his nature."

"I see. So that's why he's a doctor. A healer."

"His vampire senses allow him to be a better surgeon."

"He can smell if there is a nick in the bowel."

"Right." She drew on his chest with a finger; not meeting his eyes. "Do you know which pieces get taken in this giant chess game?"

"No."

"You'd lie to me though, wouldn't you?"

He kissed her. He didn't answer her and that was answer enough. She knew it and she didn't press him. He started sliding his warm hands under her clothing.

"We are going to be together and then you are going to sleep. I know you have been avoiding rest."

"You have things to do," she argued.

"It can wait. You are important to me."

"I feel… like a fake."

"You're not; you will prove it."

"Josh?"

"Shush now. All I want to hear is you moaning."

She snorted. "Yeah, right… oh," she moaned.

"Ha!"

* * *

><p>She was sound asleep, lying on her chest with her hands clasped and tucked in underneath her. She looked so vulnerable. Sleeping like a small child.<p>

Josh tucked her in and went back to his books. They had to defeat this enemy; they just had to.

* * *

><p>[**Nm p384 - I don't usually read outside the wolf parts of the original books - but exchanges like the one I quote here make me utterly cringe.]<p> 


	32. Chapter 32

**Chapter 32 - I'll be home for Christmas**

_Disclaimer: the characters and all recognisable situations belong to Stephenie Meyer - this is a work of fan fiction, except for the legends and histories of the Quileute that, of course, belong to them. I pay my respects to their gods._

_Thanks to BanSidhe [ruadh sidhe] and Feebes86 for betaing and pre-reading._

* * *

><p>Embry's stomach was full of delicious Bella cooking and he walked home listening to the sounds of the forest. As he approached his house he could scent her. He stopped, closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. She smelt like her family and as she stepped carefully closer to him, he picked up a whiff of Billy. He must have been there for dinner, too. Her imprint.<p>

"You had dinner with Josh and Bella?" Leah asked.

He wanted to make some smart remark, but he didn't. "Yes."

"How's it going with him?"

_What do you want, Leah? _He was saying it inside his head but the words would not come out. "Good," he chewed out in an answer to her question.

"That's good." She turned to leave.

"Leah?" He scrabbled for something to offer her. "Come and see what I've done with the house."

"No." She hesitated.

"Come on."

"You probably just threw everything away."

She knew him so well.

"Please, Leah," he begged.

"I shouldn't."

"Why not?" he asked.

She gave him a panicked look.

"Oh, right. Betrayal of the imprint. Christ, Leah. I won't jump you," he protested.

She looked frightened of something - not of him, but maybe of herself or what she thought might happen if she went inside his home. The place that was a concentrated melange of Embry and a fair dash of Leah. He hadn't changed his sheets since the last time they had sex in his bed. Was she frightened that she would be the one doing the jumping?

"I-I j-just can't," she whispered.

"Look… I know we said it was over … that we weren't going to have sex anymore… but why are you here? What message am I supposed to get from that?"

She looked panicked. "I should go."

Embry lost it. "It's not fair!" he spat out. And then it just all kept coming; all the thoughts and worries and things that he had in his head that he hadn't even fully formulated. "We were together for ages… well not together-together let's tell everyone we're together because you don't _do_ that anymore… or hold hands or be a couple… but do you ever think that maybe if we _were_ a couple that this thing might not have happened? That if we were living together, or even just sleeping in the same bed - not fucking and then you go home afterward to sleep, or even gods forbid, if we were _married_, that the gods might have said 'those two are a pair - leave them be.' Pretty much everyone else got their partner. Huh? Do you ever think about that?"

He hadn't meant to say any of that.

Her face looked devastated. "I didn't mean it to look like that."

"But it is how it looked. It's what you did. You set the boundaries."

"I didn't know I was going to imprint."

He made an angry gesture with his hand. "That's got nothing to do with this. I'm not talking about imprinting. I'm talking about last month or last week when we were fucking."

"Maybe you'll get a turn?" she tried.

"Shut up about imprinting. And I still haven't."

Silence. They couldn't look at each other. Leah was staring at the dirt with her arms folded across her body and Embry was rubbing the back of his neck with one hand.

"Have you done anything with him?" he asked.

She didn't bother asking how he knew she had been with him that night or at least in the same room as him. Maybe he'd kissed her cheek goodnight before he went home and she came over here. "You have no right to ask that."

"I think I have _every_ right."

She shook her head.

"Oh, right," he said bitterly. "Because we don't even do what we used to do. It's over. And all I can think is that your heart wasn't in it in the first place. That I was just convenient and that you imprinting outed how you felt about me."

"That's not true." She blinked quickly.

"Oh, come on, Leah. Fight the imprint. Fight it. Yell at the sky, be the feral bitch I know you can be."

"I c-can't, Embry. I'm so tired."

"If you loved me - you'd fight for me."

"You don't know what it's like."

All Embry heard was her not agreeing that she loved him.

She backed away from him and by the time he got it together, she was half gone.

"Crap - that's all just crap. I took what we had. It wasn't your fault," he apologized.

She shook her head and she left.

"It's not your fault," he shouted after her, but he heard no response.

More quietly he added, "Nothing is wrong with you, Leah. At least you imprinted. And on the chief of the whole damn tribe."

Not on him.

* * *

><p>Leah heard him. There was nothing wrong with her hearing. He was right. Jake had often said that she and Embry were friends with awesome benefits. She thought he had even described them that way to Bella when she showed up. It had just started with Embry as an experiment. What was it like to fuck another wolf? Turned out to be pretty good, so they met up again.<p>

And they had fallen into a convenient routine.

Embry was right, she hadn't held his hand or kissed him in public. They hadn't moved in together. But Embry didn't push her because it just wasn't in his nature to do that. The same way he didn't demand information from his mother. He just wasn't that aggressive about things. If she had started the same kind of relationship with Jake he would have been all over her like a rash. It was just the way he was. She half wondered if she hadn't tried Jake for exactly that reason. She hadn't thought about how the lack of a public acceptance of Embry was seen by him as yet another rejection.

She had argued it was fear of an imprint but it wasn't, it was fear of commitment. And she kind of knew that. It was all about her fear of having her heart broken as badly as before. She was not going to be holding it out there again to be bruised and battered.

She had never thought that in doing that; in protecting her own, that she was hurting Embry's heart.

And her's got damaged anyway in the fallout.

She had been walking blindly, not taking any notice of where she was going. She stopped and looked around.

Without even realizing it, she had gone to the Black house.

Fucking imprinting.

It worked on a person in so many ways - some obvious, some not. The way she had liked having him there at dinner. So now, upset and distressed, she had gone to Billy.

She was tired and this shit was going to wear her down. Slowly like water on a stone, until she crumbled into sand.

She stood there thinking about all this crazy vampire end of the world stuff, and then she clenched her fists, took a deep breath and she walked away.

* * *

><p>"I am so tired of seeing naked old people," Collin whined. "Tell me we had better self-control to start off than that."<p>

"Um," Seth deferred. "We used to see a lot of naked Paul; he was the angriest, but you guys took ages to get it under control, too. Remember?"

"I would rather not… thank you," Brady said. He hadn't forgotten running out of clothes and shoes. They always lost shoes during an unexpected wolf phase, or worse were left with one perfectly serviceable shoe and the other torn to shreds. And they never seemed to match up into a pair.

"I remember being shitty for weeks when we got left out of the newborn vampire battle," Collin said.

Seth rolled his eyes. As if they hadn't argued about that a million times before. "You were too young and we needed someone to guard the rez."

"Right," said Brady.

"But the thing that is really creeping me out is the endless fucking. My parents go at it all day and half the damn night. Oh, my god! She wears him out! It's just… wrong!" Collin protested.

"He's only human," said Brady. "He's doing well to even keep up with her."

"I want to drill my ear canals," Collin insisted.

Seth sighed. "We are all in the same situation, Collin. Especially with all the imprints happening. Get over it!" He gave Brady a worried glance because he had mentioned the word that shouldn't be said around Brady.

"Don't ask," Brady warned.

"You have to talk to him," Seth pleaded.

"No. I don't."

"We know it went both ways, Brady. We all saw it."

"It doesn't matter," Brady argued.

"He's your _imprint_." Seth looked so piteous.

"Do you want him?"

"No… ewww. He's my uncle." He paused. "And he's really sad about it. You should see him… and Mom is really worried about him."

Collin made a sympathetic face at Seth. "Doesn't it hurt to ignore him, Brady?"

"NO!" said Brady, but they all knew he was lying. Wolves were like built in lie detectors. So attuned to any changes of heart rate.

"Just talk to him," Seth pleaded. "You don't have to… you know." He waved a hand about.

"FUCK!" Brady leapt to his feet.

"Yeah, that," joked Collin.

Brady glared at his friends and made an abrupt cutting gesture with his arm. "Just… drop it!"

They both frowned at him.

"Fine!" Brady threw his hands up. "I'll go talk to him." He stomped off.

Seth and Collin exchanged a look.

"Notice how he didn't need to ask _where_ he is?" Collin pointed out.

"Yeah… bet he's got an inbuilt imprint radar like all the others."

* * *

><p>Brady did know where Lucas was. He was so completely aware of him. In a room, or in a wolf meeting, he could close his eyes and <em>feel<em> where he was. If he wasn't actually present at the meeting, if he was on patrol or something, Brady could tell where Lucas was on the rez like a homing beacon. He hadn't asked the other imprinted wolves about it and he had tried to hide it but people kept asking him where Lucas was, as if it was a shortcut to just ask his imprint.

And it was making him crazy.

Almost as crazy as Lucas' incredible puppy dog eyes and the way he kept looking at him beseechingly if he saw him.

It was messing with Brady's heart. He didn't want to hurt him but he also didn't want to accept him.

Brady approached the cabin where Lucas was staying. His scent was everywhere. Brady stopped and inhaled deeply. He'd just sit on the ground nearby for a minute. He wrapped his arms around his knees and just listened to the man moving around in the cabin. He couldn't tell what he was doing so he listened harder. The tinny sound of an i-pod reached him and then Lucas humming. A new song started, clearly a favorite because he started to dance.

Brady smiled. He sounded happy.

And now he was singing along to … I go to Rio? Peter Allen? Could he get more gay? Jesus, at least it wasn't Judy Garland. Brady snorted.

The music stopped.

He froze.

The door of the cabin opened. Shit. He hadn't thought about Lucas knowing where _he_ was. Seth was right; the imprint went both ways. Shit. He was such an idiot.

He heard Lucas scent the air. "Brady?" he said in a breathless whisper.

Oh, he couldn't do it. He couldn't ignore the hope in that voice. And it was stupid to hide if Lucas knew he was there.

He huffed out a breath, stood and stepped forward out of the trees brushing dirt from his butt.

Lucas was frozen in the doorway wearing a day-glo green singlet top with armholes down to the waist and his favorite pair of micro shorts. December weather didn't affect a wolf.

"Hey," said Brady.

"Oh." Lucas put his hand over his mouth.

"Are you okay?" Brady asked him because his heart rate had just gone nuts.

Lucas nodded but he still had his hand over his mouth.

He didn't sound okay, but he didn't know what else to say or do. He kicked at the ground. "I'll probably see you at a pack meeting."

"Yes," said Lucas in a shaky voice.

"Okay… then…" Brady paused. "Good night."

He turned and walked away.

"Sweet dreams," he heard Lucas whisper.


	33. Chapter 33

**Chapter 33 - I'll be home for Christmas**

_Disclaimer: the characters and all recognisable situations belong to Stephenie Meyer - this is a work of fan fiction, except for the legends and histories of the Quileute that, of course, belong to them. I pay my respects to their gods._

_Thanks to BanSidhe [ruadh sidhe] and Feebes86 for betaing and pre-reading._

* * *

><p>Bright and early, Josh dragged a grumpy Bella over to the Ateara place to see Old Quil. Niki Lahote, who had clearly stayed overnight, took one look at her, poured her a mug of coffee and passed it to her.<p>

"Oh, thank you, Niki." She clutched at the mug eagerly.

"That will ruin your aura," announced old Quil as he reached for the mug.

Bella nearly growled at him, as she held the mug protectively away from him.

"Woah," said Niki.

"She's not a morning person," said Josh.

"Humph," the old man grunted. There was no way she was letting it go, so he had lost that battle.

"Is that why I am here?" she asked. "To look at my aura? You did say aura?" She was drinking the coffee quickly, just in case the old man attempted to steal it away from her.

"The color of your aura reveals many things. You can shield vampires, yes?" Old Quil asked.

"Yes, but not Jasper or Alice."

"Jasper?" Niki asked. "He has other gifts, too?"

"He is like an empath… no - that's not it. He can not only feel your emotions, he can influence them. Is there a name for that?"

Old Quil nodded. "He is a pathokinesis."

"That would be really useful," Niki commented. "Can he do it in a large group?"

"I-I don't know. And Alice could see my future so the shield can't have worked against her either. I'm not entirely sure how her visions work, but would she be able to see me in her future visions if I was shielded from her?"

"Maybe their skills are a physical thing and it is only mental things you shield against," Josh said as he helped himself to a leftover piece of toast.

She nodded, as she sipped her coffee.

"And you shielded me that time," Josh said.

"In the nightmare… but that was a dream… dreams aren't real life, you said."

"Maybe but can you _always_ shield? Does it ever drop?" Josh asked. "I suppose the only way to tell would be if Edward could _ever_ read your mind? When you were stressed?"

"No…" She answered slowly as if she was still thinking. "Not even when I was asleep."

"Pardon?" said Josh.

"He used to sit in my room, all night while I slept."

Both of the wolves let out a growl. Bella jolted and her mug overflowed. "Oops. I told Charlie that… I forgot that I hadn't told you," she said as she wiped at the liquid on her leg.

Josh sat down heavily. "Every night?"

"Pretty much… unless-" She blushed.

The men looked blank, and then Josh asked, "If you were having a period?"

She rolled her eyes and didn't answer that.

Niki looked puzzled. "I've never thought about that. But then again, who dates vampires?"

"Can we get on with this?" Bella said, as she glared at Niki.

"Stay there. Don't move," Old Quil said.

Bella tucked her feet up under her so that her knees were up in her face. She looked almost as if she was trying to hide or make herself smaller.

Old Quil was leaning over the table with his hands flat on the surface staring intently at Bella. He did seem to be looking around her rather than at her.

"I hate this," she muttered, with a significant glance at Josh.

He patted her shoulder.

"Do that again," Old Quil said.

Josh slid his hand under her chin and lifted her face up to his. He kissed her lightly.

"Hmm," said Old Quil.

"What happened?" asked Niki. "I'm assuming something happened."

Old Quil frowned. "Her aura is stronger when they touch."

Josh was still kissing Bella. Her fingers stroked down the back of his neck.

"Hear that? I make your aura stronger."

"I could so go back to bed," she whispered to him.

"Nope. We have a pack meeting to go to, even if I know what you are thinking."

"Pack meeting? Really?"

Josh glanced up at Niki. "You were having one this morning, right?"

"Yep."

"Come on, finish your coffee and then we'll go."

"Can I have some toast?"

"You ate breakfast."

"I'm hungry."

"Jesus, you two already bicker like an old married couple." Niki laughed.

"Shut up, Niki," Bella said.

"Can you really know what she is thinking?" Old Quil asked.

Josh and Bella exchanged a look.

"S-sometimes…" Bella said. The first time they had pulled up at the Black house she had known he was asking what had happened to Billy. May be it was obvious from the ramp access, but she had often thought that they knew what the other was thinking.

"Could you and Molly do that?" Josh asked.

"In times of need. Imprinted wolves also know where there imprint is. For example, Niki?"

"Joy is sound asleep in bed, but that is a no-brainer, that's where I left her and I haven't heard her move."

"Ask one of the other wolves if you want a demonstration."

"I'll ask Jake," Bella said. "But I think Bella is different. I will attend this meeting and observe," Old Quil announced.

"Oh, great."

* * *

><p>The pack of enormous wolves watched the two humans with intense eyes. Some lay on the ground while others sat, each to their preference except for Lucas who sat with his paws lined up and his tail in a dead straight line out from his body. He looked more like a neat cat sitting than a wolf.<p>

"Izzy, you stand here."

She rolled her eyes.

"Now, if this theory is right, then the two of us can do things together."

"I'm not a wolf."

"I know that." He kissed her quickly. "Come on. Just try it for me."

She nodded but she didn't look convinced. "Shouldn't you be touching me?"

"Later." He lifted an eyebrow at her and walked away after placing her where he wanted her. He started to undress and watching the way his muscles moved and his promise of touching her later made her think of the night before. The two of them wound around each other, covered in sweat and panting as they climaxed. She had noticed that sometimes she seemed to know what he was thinking. Well, now he seemed to know what she had on her mind.

He grinned at her. "You'll embarrass me," he chuckled.

If he got an erection thinking about sex, she'd be embarrassed for him but she doubted he'd be concerned.

He phased and she suddenly realized that if he was thinking of the same thing that she was, then all of the pack would see it through the pack mind, too.

The black wolf was probably talking to the pack, they had an attentive look; they were all looking at him with their ears lifted and a few heads tilted. She panicked about them seeing her thoughts. If that was even how this thought link thing worked. She put her hands up over her face and tried, in covering it, to hide her memories. Plus, Old Quil was watching her carefully.

_Don't think about fucking Josh. Don't think about fucking Josh._

Oh, damn.

That just made it worse.

Crap! Shit! If only there was a way to stop this stupid mind thing.

There was silence for a beat.

She heard him phase back.

"Izzy?"

"Josh."

"What did you do?"

He didn't sound annoyed with her.

"What? I didn't do anything." She peered through her fingers. The pack were all looking at her.

"Izzy?"

She looked at him. He was naked again.

"GAH! Do you always have to be naked?"

"What did you do?"

"How do you know it was me?"

"Of course it was you and I was In the middle of talking to the pack when something cut me off from them."

"Oh."

"Izzy?" He was standing very close to her now.

She sighed. "Why do we have to share?" she whispered.

He blinked.

"It's your fault," she accused. "I look at you naked and I start to think about-"

He grinned at her.

"Sex! Okay? I think about fucking you and I didn't want them to see that."

"You didn't cut off your thoughts, you cut off _mine_."

"Oh. Were you thinking about sex?"

"No, for once-"

She laughed.

"-when this wall slammed down. You did it; you pushed your shield out to cover me. I want to know if you can do it again."

"Why?"

"Jane."

Her face lit up. "If I can protect you and then the pack through your mind … is that what I did?"

"I don't know how you did what you did. But it reminds me of what happened in your nightmare and we need to find out _how_ it works."

"I'm not sure I can do it again," she said doubtfully.

"We know you do it all the time, you just need to stretch it or project it or whatever you call it to cover others." He leaned in very close to her and whispered right into her ear, "I might start thinking about how much I love it when I am eating you out, and just before you come, you start to pant."

"You bastard." There it was. A full memory of him doing just that. Watching her as she struggled to get enough air into her lungs, her body tense and vibrating just before she lost it and orgasmed. Her hands locked in his hair to hold him closer to her and his dark eyes looking up her body.

He phased quickly and yipped at her. His wolf looked mischievous.

"Okay… okay. I know what you are thinking, now."

His tongue lolled out the side of his mouth, so much longer than his human tongue. _Tongue… oh, God_.

She had to stop him. She didn't care that the pack shared memories all the time; she wanted to keep hers.

She imagined a vault; thick metal and solid plates of steel with bolts through it, and locks and a big round wheel to turn to open it. She spun the wheel in her head and slammed shut the vault door.

One of the wolves whined.

"Shut up, Niki," she told it. She knew it would be him.

Josh's wolf did a little leap of excitement before he phased human and was hugging her.

"Ha! You did it!" he crowed.

"I'm still not entirely sure what I did."

"If I can't touch their minds, I guarantee that an enemy can't do it either."

"I imagined a vault. Did I shut them in or out?"

"Doesn't matter, as long as they are safe. We'll have to try again, with more wolves… both packs."

"Oh, my God. No! Not if you are going to be thinking what I think you are going to be thinking!"

He kissed her. "I am _always_ thinking that, where you are concerned."

* * *

><p>Bella rang Jake and arranged to meet him at the garage. He was there doing some urgent job.<p>

"Whassup, Bells?"

"How far away do we need to get to be out of wolf hearing?"

"Miles. Why?"

"Are we safe here?"

He gave her an odd look. "Yes, I think so."

"I was just reminded of something."

"Uh, huh."

Silence.

"Do I have to guess or are you going to tell me?"

"You knew about the Volturi."

He looked at her carefully but didn't react.

Bella remembered him, hanging in the window of the car, his face too close to Alice's so that she scrunched up her nose at the smell of wet dog. Jake who had just confessed that he loved her; with tears in his eyes as he begged her not to go to Italy. Not to go to the evil vampires Alice said might kill them all to save the guy who had dumped her and left her in the forest to almost die.

"Yes," he finally admitted.

"You never said anything in the meeting."

"No. I knew _of_ them, but I didn't know everything else you told the meeting."

"You didn't tell the pack?"

He gave her a scathing look. "No." He couldn't help himself, he brushed a finger down her cheek and looked at her with eyes she remembered being as close to her then, when he almost kissed her before the phone rang. "You kept my secrets and I kept yours."

She had loved him; really loved him. She could see it so clearly now with hindsight. Torn at hurting her feelings, he had climbed in her window to try and tell her about the pack. Sitting on her bed with his jaw locked by an alpha order she had hugged him and offered to run away with him and she had meant it, too. As it turned out, she had run away but on her own.

Jake looked at her perceptively. "I'm glad you came back."

"Me, too."

"I owe Josh that."

A beat.

"They would have caught you within days. That tracker guy was so close. If he hadn't brought you here…"

"I know." She patted his chest, more for her comfort than his. "It frightens me to think about it."

"Me, too. I've lost that invincible feeling. Not nearly so bulletproof now. Maybe that's Angela, I don't know."

"Someone else to worry about?"

"Someone who _can_ get hurt," he said with a look at her.

"You'll be chief one day. You have so many other people to think about it."

"That's true."

"Oh, where is Angela? I mean can you tell where she is right now?"

He frowned a little. "Yes, she's at the church with her mother. I know that but you're right, I can feel where she is." He paused and smiled to himself.

"And you can tell that she's happy," she guessed.

"Yeah." Jake looked at her. "And so are you. Give me a hug, Bells."

It was a proper Jacob Black rib crusher hug and she had missed those.


	34. Chapter 34

**Chapter 34 - I'll be home for Christmas**

_Disclaimer: the characters and all recognisable situations belong to Stephenie Meyer - this is a work of fan fiction, except for the legends and histories of the Quileute that, of course, belong to them. I pay my respects to their gods._

_Thanks to BanSidhe [ruadh sidhe] and Feebes86 for betaing and pre-reading._

* * *

><p>Joy and a few other people had commandeered the large kitchen in the communal hall. They were baking up a storm and had made sure that the urns were always at the boil and that there were plenty of sandwiches and home baked cakes and biscuits for hungry wolves to snack on. The workers swapped about but they had plans to have the kitchen open as late as they could.<p>

After Bella had declared she could not push out the shield anymore and gone to visit Jake, the pack had worked together a little longer before Josh suggested they all take a break. Some of the pack had gone off to patrol, some had gone home and a few more had headed towards the delicious smells coming from the hall.

Bella and Jake met them there.

People were spread around talking in groups or just sitting quietly. The pack members could all hear the roar of a motorcycle coming from miles away. No one was surprised when it pulled up outside the hall.

A woman, who looked about forty, strode into the meeting wearing skin tight black leather pants and heeled boots. She pulled off her helmet and tossed her dark hair over her shoulder, knowing full well that every person in the room was watching her.

"Ellen?" Josh called out.

He rushed to her with a speed that made Bella's eyes narrow. He kissed her, swooped her up in a hug and spun her around.

"Whoa, wait," she said.

"I haven't seen you for years," Josh said. He turned and waved at Bella. "Izzy, this is my little sister."

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

Ellen was staring at Quil. She had seen him when Josh spun her and she couldn't take her eyes off him. Josh saw where she was looking.

She smacked Josh in the chest with the back of her hand. "Tell me who that piece of man meat is."

"Quil."

"Is he an Ateara?"

"Of course. Number five."

Ellen licked her lips. "Oh, now… he looks delicious."

"Did she just imprint?" Jake asked. "She smells like a wolf."

"Ellen? Can you change?" Josh asked her.

"Yes." She only had eyes for Quil.

"Excellent, so you will be in Billy's pack." Josh pointed where some of the Forties members were sitting with Billy, but she ignored him.

"How did you control it and get human again?" Sam asked.

"I've got skills. And I don't change if it wrecks my favorite pants," she added, shimmying her ass. There was no doubt which were her favorite pants. "What's an imprint?"

"When a wolf finds its mate," Sue answered.

"When did you change?" Josh asked her.

"Couple of days ago. I was fucking some biker dude behind their club house. Got a little too excited and my heart-rate went wild. Next thing I knew, I was furred out and running through the trees, with an overwhelming need to go back to the rez. Weird, huh? I haven't been back here for years."

"Did the biker dude see you change?" Billy asked. He looked worried that the tribal secret might be blown.

"If he did, he won't say anything."

"Why not?" Seth asked, after looking around and working out that no one else was going to ask her.

She gave Seth a cheeky grin. "He might have had to admit that he wasn't looking at my face. And there would be no way he'd admit to the other guys what we were doing when it happened." She shrugged. "At least with my new sense of smell, I found my clothes in the dumpster, but the harness was a write off. Asshole. I was only doing what he wanted; he didn't have to chuck my stuff away."

"You were pegging him?" Leah asked incredulously.

"Yeah." She shrugged. "That's why he won't tell anybody."

"Oh, I like her," Paul said.

Rachel growled at him.

"Let me guess," Ellen asked Rachel, "he's your imprint?"

Rachel rolled her eyes and nodded.

Ellen's glance kept returning to the burly body of Quil. He was checking her out, too. She gave him a massive eye fuck.

He shook his head. "I've got nothing my end."

"Excuse me?" Ellen said. She sounded insulted. She stalked over to him. He held his ground and looked down at her.

"I meant… I didn't imprint on you." He shrugged. "Been there, done that."

Ellen frowned.

"She's not here. She was a kid and the bond broke about a week ago."

Ellen licked her lips and ran her hand up Quil's bare chest.

"But there's something you should know-" Quil started to say.

"Excuse me?" said Candie. She sounded _really_ insulted. "Get your hands off!"

She had been in the kitchen but she hurried over and squeezed herself between Ellen and Quil. Her breasts rubbed up against Ellen's body. She didn't step back. "He's mine," she announced. "Get another wolf."

"She imprinted on him, Candie," Seth said.

"But I've only had him for days," Candie whimpered and her lip wobbled. "He said I could stay."

Quil patted her on the hip.

The pack watched carefully. Bella hugged Josh nervously.

"What I was trying to tell you was, this is Candie," Quil said to Ellen around Candie's shoulder. "We date, but we're not imprinted."

"Yeah!" said Candie. "He's mine!" she repeated, but she sounded less sure of it now.

"Josh? If he's _my_ mate, does imprinting take precedence?" Ellen asked over her shoulder.

"It's up to the imprint. You don't have to fuck him," Josh suggested. "You could be friends."

"Pfft," she said. "I want to fuck him."

Candie didn't have pack status, they all knew that. And they all knew how much Quil liked her and nobody wanted him to be hurt again.

Everyone else was holding their breath.

Ellen still had one hand on Quil's chest, the other reached up and slipped under Candie's breast, weighing it. Candie looked surprised, but she didn't back off. Ellen leaned in and kissed Candie full on the lips while her other hand dove into the front of Quil's cut-offs.

"Oh, Jesus," he said as he watched the two women kiss.

Ellen whispered to Candie, "We can work something out, can't we, Candie?"

"I'm flexible," said Candie breathlessly.

"You are?" Quil asked. "Why didn't you ever tell me that?"

"I didn't want to hurt you, baby. But if she's part of the deal, I'll take it."

"Perfect," said Ellen with a wicked smile. "I like both, too."

"We've got room for you in our bed," Quil suggested to Ellen in a low voice. "As long as I get your ass, not the other way around."

"We'll see." She laughed huskily and held her face up to Quil. "Kiss me, imprint."

He did. They jammed Candie up between them and she sighed.

"Oh, for fuck's sake," Jared wailed. "He gets two? How is that fair?"

"Fair?" Embry spat at him. "Did you give a fuck when he imprinted on a two year old? You got to spend all day and all night with your imprint - Quil's had to have naps and go to school and spend some time with her family and live in another town miles away. He was _last_ on her list of priorities and none of you did anything about it."

"Embry?" said Quil. "It's okay, now."

Embry stormed out of the meeting.

No one knew what to say.

Leah and Bella's eyes met. They were both worried about how upset Embry was.

"Well, Ellen," said Josh. "You sure know how to make an entrance."

* * *

><p>The Blacks, after the events at the hall, had gone home for an early dinner. They had made arrangements earlier for Jane Wilde to join them. She was Billy's sister-in-law, the sister of his dead wife Sarah and she was one of the forties wolves. "You look great, Billy. And you're still relatively young and good looking. You should date again."<p>

"You giving me permission, Jane?" he joked.

She laughed. "You don't need my permission. What a pity that Sue is dating that Charlie Swan guy, Billy. She would have made a great wife for you."

Rachel rolled her eyes and looked annoyed that Sue being a wife was her best life option. Paul smirked.

"I've known Sue a long time and she and Charlie go so well together. I'm not disappointed," Billy said diplomatically.

"Oh, right… and besides… I forgot! You have your new, sexy young imprint thing," Jane said.

"Dad hasn't imprinted," Rachel said.

Jake and Paul exchanged a panicked glance. It was the 'you didn't tell her' what do you mean 'you were supposed to tell her' look.

Jane ignored Rachel. "She's still a Clearwater, though right? So you were almost there." She laughed raucously.

"What?" Rachel demanded.

Jane finally understood that Rachel didn't know what she was talking about. "The daughter. Leah, isn't it?" She stared at Rachel's face. "Oh, you didn't know?"

The guys were silent. They all had a look on their faces as if the ground had moved under their feet and they weren't sure where to step.

"NO! I didn't KNOW!"

Rachel turned on Billy. "Leah Clearwater?"

"Yes, we imprinted before I phased." He didn't deny it.

"You didn't tell me."

Jake interrupted, "The whole pack knew. It wasn't a secret."

"What? When did this happen."

"You were taking Rebecca back to the airport in Port Angeles."

"Leah told everyone," Paul added.

Rachel's eyes narrowed. "But nobody bothered to let me know."

Billy looked a little guilty.

"Jeez Rach," Jake said. "Why would we tell you, when we could guess you'd react like this?"

"Why shouldn't I react like this? She's my age!"

"Nothing has happened, Rachel," Billy argued.

"But it _will_. It's an imprint. Is there ONE that isn't about sex?"

No one answered her.

"Except Claire and Quil," she added. "And that's over now, too. So Quil can have sex with his new girlfriend _and_ his new imprint."

"You can't say that," Jake argued.

"Really? Are you not sexing up your new imprint?"

Jake couldn't deny that.

Rachel waved a hand at her father. "You are still relatively young and good looking," she parroted Jane's words. "You should date."

"Stop it, Rachel," Paul said.

She glared at him.

"Seriously," he said. "It's a fucking disaster for them all. You haven't noticed how stressed Embry is lately? Did you see him at the hall just then? He got sidelined again."

"But—"

"No. Shut it." He pointed at her. "Leah lost Sam and Emily to imprinting. And now she's lost Embry. She had one of the worst initial phases ever. She thought she killed her father and dragged Seth into it too early. Your father doesn't know what to do about this. He's lost out, too when he could have got a different imprint. One closer to his age or a little less fucking complicated." He took a breath. "Or do you not want him to be happy? Hey, that's a point… You ought to know all of this. You're pack, Rachel. You can see the pack mind. You can see Leah's mind. Why don't you have more sympathy for her? For your friend?"

They all looked at her.

Her lips were pursed.

"Rachel?" Billy asked. It had an alpha tinge, whether he meant it to or not, he was defending his imprint.

"She got shitty with me when I went to college… and she didn't."

"Why didn't she go to college?" Jake asked. "She's smart enough."

Billy answered. "She thought she was going to marry Sam."

"So Rachel goes to Washington U and does an IT course and Leah gets… nothing?" Jake said.

"Her options were… reduced when Sam phased and imprinted on Emily," Billy said.

Paul snorted. "Reduced? And then eliminated altogether when she phased. Can't leave the rez now. Can't go to college."

Rachel folded her arms across her body. "She didn't have to take it out on me."

"She took it out on _everybody_," Jake said. "And you weren't even here for most of it."

Rachel huffed out a breath. "I am not happy about this," she announced, before flouncing off.

"Sorry," Paul said before he followed her. He grabbed some food to take with him.

Jane looked sorrowful. "I am sorry, Billy. I caused all that."

"No, Jane. She should have been told. I just didn't have the guts."

Jake was staring after them. "Wife and mother Leah? I can't imagine that. She would not be happy with that, now."

"Probably not, now. Harry tried to tell her to go to college and not to get married so young, but she has always been so set in her own mind. So determined. Sue had done her nursing degree and Leah wouldn't listen to her, either. Sam was her whole world and she was determined to be happy with him."

"She's so smart."

"Yes."

Jane said, "You never know… maybe she can do some course after all of this."

They all looked at the ground. If there was an 'after this' for any of them.


	35. Chapter 35

**Chapter 35 - I'll be home for Christmas**

_Disclaimer: the characters and all recognisable situations belong to Stephenie Meyer - this is a work of fan fiction, except for the legends and histories of the Quileute that, of course, belong to them. I pay my respects to their gods._

_Thanks to BanSidhe [ruadh sidhe] and Feebes86 for betaing and pre-reading._

* * *

><p><strong>[AN: some reviewers have expressed concern about the point of same sex imprints. Imprinting is not just about breeding in this AU. With this many people, a few at least are going to be homosexual or bisexual. Given the population of Seattle identifies as 12-15% homosexual. Historically, I understand Native Americans had no such issues with same sex relationships. They called them two spirit people and some tribes thought of them as a third gender.]<strong>

* * *

><p>Bella pushed at Josh's arm. "You have to go talk to Embry."<p>

Josh glanced at the door that Embry had stormed out of after blowing up about Quil's imprint.

"Please. I'm not a wolf. I'd never find him."

"Okay. Ellen seems busy and I can catch up with her later." He gave her a quick hug. "Come and find me in about half an hour; just call and I'll hear you."

"Why?"

"We need to keep working on that shield."

Her shoulders slumped. "Ugh. It gives me a headache."

He gave her a look.

"I know… I know."

He moved quickly after Embry, senses alert, trying to listen for any sound of the agitated boy as he tracked him through the forest. He was a man now, he supposed. The son he had never known that he had. He had no doubt that he was his son, given the wolf had led him to him.

Ha. That was it. Agitated as Embry had been, he had probably lost it and phased. Josh stripped off and let the wolf out. Concentrating hard, he blocked out all the extraneous voices and other wolves, and he searched for Embry, the way he had done when he was first phased.

_Embry? It's Josh. Are you okay?_

He felt him. He gave off an odd tumult of emotion; anxiety, anger and embarrassment. He wasn't running; he had phased and was curled up and hidden under a log, so Josh's wolf lay down close to the edge of the forest where he could hear Izzy if she was looking for him.

_I've isolated us. No one else can hear you now._

_Thanks._

Josh was trying to work out why Embry was embarrassed._ Ah, of course. Leah was there._

_And I was a dick._

_No, I think what you said sounded like the truth, just said a little harshly. And you were sticking up for your friend._

_He didn't need my help._

_He appreciated it. He seemed worried about you, too. Are you upset he has two women, now?_

_No. He really did get shafted with the baby imprint._

_I can't imagine that is how it is supposed to work._

_No, it was weird. I mean Quil wasn't weird. He would never have hurt her or been a pedo or whatever._

_How old was she when he imprinted?_

_She was two._

_Wow. That is too young. And a very long time for him to wait for her to grow up._

_With no guarantees that she would ever like him like that._

_Now I get what Old Quil meant about never seeing his great grandchildren._

_Yeah… wait another… what? Sixteen years at the least. It wasn't fair and none of them really noticed because Quil seemed happy about it. Except Sam but that was mostly because Claire was Emily's niece._

_Imprints._

_Yeah, I mean is it a __**real**__ happiness or a fake, drinking the Kool-Aid thing. Shit… sorry. _As he remembered Josh was imprinted.

_I love Izzy. I knew she was mine the second I saw her in the bar and that was before we imprinted. But maybe I knew that because I had seen her before… in my dreams._

_Oh. Yeah, that's confusing._

_I don't know. But it feels real._

_But the imprint changed Quil. It was like the whole physical side of him went… I can't think of the word… to sleep?_

_Dormant?_

_Yeah. He was still a virgin for instance, until he stopped to help Candie change a tire._

_Oh. Seriously? The way he looks?_

_I know, right? We'd go out and girls would climb on him like a set of monkey bars and he'd just have… no reaction. Nothing. _Embry showed him a memory of the first time they met Bella in Jake's garage. Quil in a tight fitting t-shirt, doing the pec flex to impress the girl. _That's the real Quil. The one that flirts with the girl Jake likes, right in front of him. The guy who got himself grounded for getting in a fight when he asked a school senior's girlfriend to the prom_. _And that's him before he went wolf._

Josh chuckled_. I see what you mean. And he was big, even then._

_Oh, yeah._

_What did you look like?_

An image of a skinny, gawky boy with a thin face and long shoulder length hair, looking at himself in the mirror.

_Still got the chin dimple._

_Yeah… But this is what Quil looked like with Claire. _This time the memory was of what was obviously a three year old girl's princess birthday party. Quil was wearing face paint, his enormous frame hunched over to try and sit at a tiny play table. He was holding a garish pink teacup between finger and thumb. He looked like King Kong at a tea party.

_But he was happy?_

_Ecstatic._

_I guess there was a reason the gods broke the imprint. That does not seem like the Quil I have met. _Ellen with her hand down Quil's pants flashed into Josh's head.

Embry laughed. _She seems perfect for him. And he won't mind the age difference._

_She's my sister, but she can be a handful._

_He's got big hands. He'll be fine._

_I hope so. _Josh was still thinking of that garage scene. He replayed the memory, this time focusing on Bella._ She looks awful._

_That was just after Edward dumped her. She was not very well; pretty fragile._

_Skin and bone. And those shadows under her eyes…_

_She had spent four months in this weird depressed state. She barely spoke, she lost all her friends, she screamed in her sleep. Charlie was this close to sending her back to her mom._

_We were discussing this the other night. Why things have happened the way they have._

_And?_

_She worries, that it is all her fault._

_The Cullens made a treaty with Ephraim._

_Exactly! In 1936. She wasn't around then._

"Josh?"

_There she is now._

_Imprint calling._ Embry sounded more amused by Josh's instant reaction to her voice, than annoyed by the interruption.

_Are you okay now, Embry?_

_Yes, and thanks._

_I can't isolate you if I phase back._

_That's okay. I can turn human and get some peace._

_Good idea. If you need to talk, come and find me._

_I'll do that. Thanks._

_Any time. I mean it._

Josh phased human and called out to his woman. "Over here."

He could hear her crashing through the undergrowth.

"Fuck. Are you naked, again?"

He laughed. He flexed his biceps and stood in a copy of a body builder pose. "How's this?"

She rolled her eyes. "I have seen enough." She started to walk away from him.

"No way," he protested. "You love seeing me naked."

She broke into a run and he darted after her; catching her easily and holding her up close against him.

"I can tell you love it, coz I can smell you," he crooned to her.

She was looking up at him, her whole face lit up. She looked the epitome of health and happiness and a stark contrast to Embry's memory of her. They both radiated happiness.

He looked up at a sound and became aware that they were very close to the edge of the forest and that a woman was standing staring at them.

Bella saw the change in his face and turned to look the way he was staring. She saw the woman turn quickly and hurry away.

"Who was that? Your eyes are better than mine."

No answer.

"Josh?"

"It was Allison."

"Oh, crap."

* * *

><p>Paul and Rachel were watching television. She was picking at the arm of the sofa; pulling off tiny bits of upholstery that seemed to be causing her offense.<p>

He glanced at her. "You still upset about your father's imprint?"

She huffed out a breath. "It's creepy."

"Why?"

"He's my father."

"So? You're not fucking him."

"Ugh. Your mind."

"What?"

"Like you'd care about age gaps."

He didn't, but it didn't pay to remind her of his sexual history. "It is not the only imprint with an age gap. Look at Bella and Josh. They are almost the same ages. Or Quil and Ellen, or Brady and Lucas. The _only_ thing you are upset about is that it's your father."

She ignored him. "Niki got Joy. At least they are similar ages."

"They had sex day _one_."

"Okay, so your father is not a paragon of virtue."

He snorted. "And he has nothing to do with this. This is nobody's business but Leah and Billy's."

"It's wrong!"

"An imprint is _wrong_?" He glared at her. "Be careful Rachel."

She back tracked. "I didn't mean us…"

"Right. Sure you didn't."

Silence.

Paul stared unseeingly at the television screen. "You're still angry with Rebecca. Don't take it out on your father."

"That's not it. This imprint is not-" she stopped talking.

"She won't be your mother."

"Ugh. That's worse! Imagine! Yuck."

"Jeez. You can't wish your dad a bit of fun after his legs are healed?"

"Not with my friend."

He snorted. "You don't treat her like a friend and if you force her to choose between the two, she'll pick him."

"You don't know that."

"I do, actually. It would be a no-brainer because Billy doesn't bitch and moan at her like you do." His mouth snapped shut before he said anything else he'd regret. He stood. "I'm going to bed." He tossed the remote into her lap.

She wanted to phone Rebecca and talk to her about it, but she knew her twin wouldn't appreciate a reminder about the furry side of their lives.

Rachel stewed alone for a few minutes, flicking through channels before she gave up and went to join him.

* * *

><p>Billy fidgeted around the house, picking things up and putting them down again, taking small huffing breaths until he gave up, left the house and started walking. He went straight to the Clearwater place. Charlie handed him a beer, an old habit. He didn't get drunk anymore but he liked the flavor and the sense of camaraderie it gave him to be with his old friend.<p>

"S'pose I had better go back to work tomorrow," Charlie said. "Nothing doing around here for a while."

"No. Not until after the first of next year, when the Cullens will let us know what's happening their end."

"I hate waiting. It's the worst thing about stakeouts."

Billy laughed. "You haven't done a stakeout in years," he accused, pointing his beer can at Charlie for emphasis. He heard a noise down the hallway. The Clearwater place was one level like most of the rez dwellings and he knew Leah was home; knew she was coming down the hallway towards them. He heard her stop, inhale and then take a firmer step towards them. His heart felt better already. It was stupid, but he felt as if the whole Rachel thing could be felt as bad waves that might have upset Leah somehow and it wasn't until he had come over here to check that she was okay that he felt better himself. And he had only just worked that out.

"Sit your ass down," Charlie said to him.

He made a shrug. "I'd rather stand."

"Makes a change?"

"It's hard to explain."

Leah slipped into the room and sat near Charlie.

"You are invisible in a wheelchair," Billy said.

"You? Hardly."

"No… you should try it one day. I will put you in the chair and push you around the street in Port Angeles or some town where they won't recognize you. You'd have to be out of uniform, of course. People talk to the person behind the chair, not you." He took a sip of his beer. "It's as if you are undetectable."

"They speak to the seeing eye dog," Leah said.

"Yes."

"You like being tall, again," Leah said.

He smiled. "That too. Can never see anything from the chair, the benches are too high. It's nice to have a change of aspect."

"Speaking of invisible," Charlie said, "Do any of these vampires have skills like that?"

"We don't know," Leah answered him.

"If the Cullens decide to help us, then we can work on a listing of each guard members' skills."

"But how do you kill them, anyway?" Charlie asked. "Crosses?"

"Nope."

"Holy water? Stakes?"

Leah shook her head. "Cut their heads off and burn them. They are very hard; skin like granite."

Charlie stroked his mustache. "I don't think I have ever shaken Dr Cullen's hand. Now I come to think about it."

"You'd know if you did… they're cold to the touch," Leah said.

Billy added, "To us they smell like a mixture of a rotting corpse and a pile of candy."

"Sweet and sickly. Burns our noses."

"So all that stuff in the movies and books where they have to sleep in their coffins during the day?"

"Not true," said Billy.

"I guess they don't need permission to enter your house either, coz I damn well remember trying to keep Edwin out." He shook his head suddenly. "How on earth did she date one… and nearly marry him?"

"No clue." Leah shuddered.

Billy took a step closer to her as if he was fighting with himself to comfort her.

She noticed and she smiled reassuringly at him.

Charlie registered all of that as well. "You know… over the years we have confiscated some pretty odd weapons. When I go in to the station tomorrow, I might just have a look through them and see what we could use."

"You can't use weapons against vampires," Leah protested.

"Depends what they are surely," Charlie argued.

"You heard the boys in the tribal meeting… they re-attach if pieces of them get close together." Billy sipped his beer and looked thoughtful. "But you never know."

"If it could burn them?" Charlie checked.

"Oh, now," said Leah. "That'd work."


	36. Chapter 36

**Chapter 36 - I'll be home for Christmas**

_Disclaimer: the characters and all recognisable situations belong to Stephenie Meyer - this is a work of fan fiction, except for the legends and histories of the Quileute that, of course, belong to them. I pay my respects to their gods._

_Thanks to BanSidhe [ruadh sidhe] and Feebes86 for betaing and pre-reading._

* * *

><p>Traveling and passing unnoticed amongst humans was something Edward Cullen had practiced for many years, so he made much faster time than the Volturi guards. He used his mind reading gift almost constantly; scanning the thoughts of the people for the one person who noticed he was too different or the rare one who recognized his nature. He could avert disaster by glamoring them to believe that they had seen nothing out of the ordinary other than a young man with a very pale complexion.<p>

Of course, the one thing he was always on the lookout for was someone whom he could not hear. Another Bella, or Bella herself.

The closer he got to her homeland the more he thought of her.

He had arranged to meet Alice at Seattle airport and he assumed Jasper would be with her. She had told him that her visions of the future were clear up to a point, and then they just ran out. A new experience for Alice and one that she was not enjoying. She was so used to knowing the exact minute that an event happened, that the uncertainty left her head blind. She was struggling in the same way a person would who had lost their eyesight. Reaching in the dark and stumbling.

He wanted to read her mind; to see what she could not see. Did all their futures run out? Or was it just such a large road block that nothing beyond it could get through?

Her clear mental signature acted like a beacon for him and he found them waiting for him just inside the exit door to the pick-up zone. She clutched his hands and poured out all the visions in one concentrated burst. Jasper, who obviously knew how agitated and upset she was, rubbed her shoulders.

"I can't tell anything!" she said. "Time, place, date… _anything_."

"You know it is the presence of the wolves."

"I know and given they are so bound into Bella's future… oh…" She paused. "I haven't shown you that."

He glanced up at Jasper.

"She has a mate; similar to Sam and Emily… an imprint."

He could read Jasper's memory of a phone conversation in which Billy Black had forewarned them of this.

"A mate? So he's a wolf? From the pack?" Edward had never expected this.

Jasper said, "Yes, but the more recent one. They have two packs now."

Alice added, "And he's old."

"Old? Show me, Alice."

"I can't… he's a wolf; it's all black, but I did do some research." Alice was very adept with modern technology; mostly for online shopping, but she had become quite good at hacking. Emmett had taught her a few tricks of the trade. He was always an early adopter of tech. "I looked him up."

"Edward, are you sure you want to see this?" Jasper asked.

He gave a stiff nod. "Wait a second, he's on the Internet?"

But Alice had just started to show him rather than wait for his answer. A montage of images flashed past. A history of Joshua Uley who preferred to be called Josh, Native American model and bit part actor. A modeling bio listed his specifications, height, weight and date of birth. A date that made him now forty five.

More images; studio shots and head shots and then images from Facebook pages of the party animal in his habitat; a drink always in one hand and a woman in the other. Then a foray into dream reading and alternative therapies. Mentions of him on blogs about mysticism and gushing testimonials from his clients. The final straw was a grainy YouTube video of him naked in what appeared to be a porn shoot.

"That was too much, darlin'," Jasper chided.

"Oh… sorry."

Edward was unnaturally still. "This… _this_ is Bella's imprint?"

"Yes."

"And Sam's father?"

"Yes."

"I-I need some time to process this. He's forty five?"

"The guard arrive in Denali on the first. They mean them no harm but after that, they will head south," Alice said.

"And the Quileute are waiting on our answer," Jasper said. He was thinking about impending battles and that it was already the twenty ninth.

But Edward was still caught on Josh's age. "Forty five," he said, like a broken record. "Will he get younger?"

"No, I don't think so," Jasper said. "Billy Black's diabetes has healed and he is walking again. He got interrogated by Carlisle on the health side effects. It seems that it doesn't reverse aging, just gives them fast healing and the other wolf benefits, so they are the same age but feel twenty years younger."

"That's almost her father's age." As a boy caught at an eternal age of seventeen, he just couldn't process it. He heard Bella's question that day when she had guessed his nature. 'How long have you been seventeen?' she had asked him.

He might be over a century in age but how it felt to be physically forty five was not something he could even comprehend. And the fact that he was still a virgin made it more difficult.

Nor could he grasp why Bella would be attracted to that. She had always been so eager to stay young.

"We should get going; meet the others. They have all missed you," Alice hinted.

"Yes." The bewildered vampire followed his siblings to the car.

* * *

><p>"Josh?" Bella asked. She could tell how upset he was by the look on his face.<p>

He shook himself. "Sorry… I just… didn't expect that."

"Are you sure it was Allison? I mean she must have changed."

"I've seen her in Sam's head, so I know what she looks like now."

"Of course." She paused. "I know we didn't mean to shove it in her face, but we kind of did. You have to talk to her."

He sighed. "I know."

She patted his bare ass. "And you need to get dressed."

They started to walk back to the meeting hall after Josh had trotted back and collected his clothes from where he had left them.

"We still need to work on the shield," he said, as he pulled a t-shirt over his head. He looked at her seriously and then added, "Before Edward arrives."

"He can't read my mind," Bella scoffed as she reached for his hand and started to walk. She stopped with a jerk, pulling at Josh's hand. "Oh, fuck. I didn't think of that."

"Exactly. He can read _my_ mind and I don't know if you want to protect him or me or both of us…"

It was her turn to sigh. "I was just flashing the whole forties pack things I'd rather they didn't see, seeing as how that is your favored training method. So all he has to do is read _their_ minds."

He chuckled.

"But I would like to limit the damage as much as I can. He loved me; he wanted to marry me and I virtually left him at the altar."

"That's hard for anyone to deal with." He lifted their joined hands to his face and kissed the back of her knuckles.

"Yes, and he's so dramatic about things. I don't want to cause a scene."

"Plus, we really need the Cullens help here. We know they are waiting for Edward to give the okay to help us. No matter what heavy hints Jasper gives."

"He loves a good fight. All the emotions are just out there; it must be like a buffet for him. But I think he's right; Edward will help."

"So we need to train." He tugged at her hand to encourage her to keep walking. "Which pack?"

"No. Not Jake's pack. Just NO. Paul and Quil will tease me forever!"

He grinned at her. "Oh, come on. We might be able to teach them a thing or two."

"I dunno… Paul has been a wolf for a long time… imagine the sexual positions you can get into with super strength added into the mix." She paused. "I shouldn't have said that, should I?"

His eyes glazed over. "You really shouldn't have."

"Okay then, I will make a deal with you. I will work on the shield if you talk to Allison tonight."

He tilted his head and looked down at her. "And then I get to try new positions?"

"I'd be stupid not to agree to that deal."

"I feel better, already."

"Phone her first," she suggested.

* * *

><p>Josh took Bella's advice, he didn't want to arrive on Allison's doorstep unannounced, so he rang and asked permission to come over. She agreed that it might be a good idea and when he suggested that evening, she agreed to that, too.<p>

He didn't need to ask the address, she was still living in their old house. He walked over trying to clear his head and think about what he wanted to say to her, or if it was just better to say nothing and let her say everything. Oddly he had been prepared for the house to be different, but what he wasn't prepared for, was that it would be almost exactly the same. Things had changed so much for him.

He knocked and waited for her to open the door. She looked at him , turned and walked away. He took a breath and stepped inside, closing the door gently after him. She was sitting at the kitchen table with her arms folded tightly.

He took a chair and sat down opposite her.

She looked older than Josh expected her to, as if being a single parent had been more wearing. He knew that it couldn't have been easy for her. The deserted wife. He felt guilty. The fridge was covered in photos and drawings; mementos of her grandchildren.

She didn't offer him a drink.

He cleared his throat. "I am sorry that you saw us together like that. I apologize." He wasn't sure what he was apologizing for; it had been a coincidence, but he wasn't sure where else to start and as Bella had said, they had shoved it in her face.

"Was that her?"

"Izzy? Yes."

"Charlie Swan's daughter?"

"Yes."

"You looked… happy."

He couldn't say anything to that.

"I was babysitting and missed that meeting, otherwise maybe I'd have some wolf looking at me like that."

He didn't know what to say to _that_, either. It reminded him of Embry's thoughts that he wasn't good enough for an imprint. He rubbed at the back of his neck. "They are not all… easy," he suggested.

"No. I heard about Billy and Leah."

Sam had probably told her. He shifted on the chair and held his hands folded tightly together in front of his crotch. "Did you ever re-marry?" he asked.

She gave him a look as if he had no right to ask that before she answered, "No. You?"

"No. You could have. I signed the papers for you."

She lifted her chin and stared at the wall behind him. "There's been a few guys… but no one long term. I didn't want to take the risk."

He thought that might have made it harder for Sam as a child; no father replacement, either. Did that make his life more stable or less? He didn't know.

Silence.

He noticed his knuckles were white from holding them too tightly, so he forced himself to let go and to relax. He breathed, trying to concentrate on breathing. He put a hand flat on the table. "I've made a lot of mistakes in my life, Allison. I don't even know how to begin to apologize to you… but… I'm… sorry."

She shrugged. "It doesn't make a difference now."

He heard the 'now' and wasn't sure what she meant. "It wasn't you," he offered. "Or Sam."

She didn't speak.

He took another breath and scraped at the table with a fingernail. "It was… I don't know how to explain it… I had dreams."

"Dreams for yourself? Things you wanted?"

"No, dreams… like a shaman… but I didn't know that was what it was."

"I heard about that… from the meeting."

"Yes, like that. They frightened me. Too different … too weird."

She nodded. "I remember you having nightmares."

"That's why I drank."

"Anesthetic."

"Yes… but then… it wasn't enough."

"And _we_ weren't enough," she pointed out.

Silence.

"So you left," she said.

His voice was so quiet. "The dreams were less intense away from the rez."

She stared at him. "We could have gone with you."

"I-" He was stumped. "I h-honestly never thought of that."

"No." She took an audible breath. "It still doesn't explain the women."

He hung his head. "No. There was no excuse for that."

She eyed him off. "She's different," she accused.

He knew she meant Bella. "Yes, she is." She was his imprint.

"You love her."

He was silent.

"You never loved me, not really. I had you, but you weren't really mine. Not even having your child pinned you down." It sounded as if she had spent a long time working that out. "When I heard you'd come back, I was angry and then I was concerned for you. Eventually, I felt pleased you'd come back, once I got over my anger. It came at me sideways; your sudden return… and I thought… maybe."

Oh, God. He had never thought about if she had thought he'd come back for _her_.

"But you're with her. It hurts to see you with her; to see you so happy." She shook her head. "I know I should say something nice… but that's the truth."

"I-" he started, then stopped.

"It makes it _worse_," she whispered the last word.

"That's... honest."

Silence.

"So," she cleared her throat. "You're here now? If you're the next shaman. You're going to live on the rez… with her?"

He nodded. He hadn't even thought about how he was intruding into what had been Allison's world for so long.

"I'm not leaving," she preempted.

"I wouldn't expect you to."

"I have grandkids, here."

"I know."

"You'll have kids with her. She's younger. And she can do that for you… now… when you _want_ them."

He winced. "Sam is a credit to you," he tried, changing the subject a little.

"He is a good son. Wonderful. Having him made me get my shit together and keep it that way. I couldn't give up. Somebody had to put dinner on the table."

"Because I wasn't here and I didn't send you money regularly." He hadn't exactly had a regular income but he had made deposits into her bank account when he could.

"No. You didn't. And you knew where _we_ were. It's not the money that hurts. You missed every single birthday and every Christmas. I bet it didn't even occur to you to send a parcel to your own son."

Josh closed his eyes. All he could see was an image of young Sam waiting for the mail and pretending that it didn't matter when there wasn't any. As he got older, he probably tried not to look for it. Josh could never make it up to them.

"I thought you'd be better off without me," he confessed.

"You're his _father_!" She stood suddenly as if she couldn't be still anymore. "Maybe we were better off without you. Didn't spend money on booze or weed, that's for sure." She eyed him off.

She pointed at him. "You may be the tribe's best hope, but you're not _mine_. I don't trust you and Sam and I have learned the hard way, not to rely on you. And Sam doesn't need you in his life now. He's got a family of his own."

"I know… with a third on the way."

She crossed her arms and looked murderous.

"I should go," he said. He didn't say back to Bella. But he knew that was what Allison was thinking.

He stopped in the doorway. He didn't look at her but he said, "I'm sorry, Ali." The old affectionate shortening of her name just slipped out.

"Don't!" she spat. "Just… don't."

He left.

He felt battered.

He didn't go straight back to the cabin. Running as a wolf didn't appeal, either - not when he had to share his thoughts with others. So, he sat on the beach where he and Bella had watched the sunrise and he stared out to sea and tried to calm his spirit.

He became determined to prove her wrong. He had to save the tribe. Save all the families; old and new. Save his sons and save Allison. He'd do it because the gods had asked him to _and_ to prove his worth to that one woman; the mother of his son. To make up for everything he had done wrong.

And to make sure that there _was_ a tribe; and a place for his future children and grandchildren to grow up.

He was very subdued when he did go back to the cabin.

Bella just looked at him. "It's all said now?"

He nodded.

"Now it can heal," she suggested.

He held her very tightly that night before he could fall to sleep.


	37. Chapter 37

**Chapter 37 - I'll be home for Christmas**

_Disclaimer: the characters and all recognisable situations belong to Stephenie Meyer - this is a work of fan fiction, except for the legends and histories of the Quileute that, of course, belong to them. I pay my respects to their gods._

_Thanks to BanSidhe [ruadh sidhe] and Feebes86 for betaing and pre-reading._

* * *

><p>Charlie stood in the evidence room at the police station, stroking his mustache and thinking.<p>

Deputy Mark walked past, stopped and reversed. "Chief?"

"What have we got that burns stuff?"

Mark looked completely bamboozled. "Ah… there's a few potato guns but I don't reckon there is anything that will burn stuff." The noise that Charlie made suggested that was not entirely the answer he had wanted to hear, so Mark added, "Forestry… they have flamethrowers. For back burning."

"They do. Good idea."

Mark asked carefully, "Why do we need this?"

"Emergency preparedness training."

"Oh." A pause. "I didn't see the memo."

Deputy Mark suspected that this had something to do with the return of Charlie's daughter. The station was running a betting sweep on how many days it would take for Bella to end up in the emergency room of the hospital. He had bet ten days, tops. Deputy Steve had said six weeks.

Everyone scoffed at that and bet somewhere in between, so Steve's remained the largest time period. Mark would have said a week but it was Christmas and that might slow her down a little. He was wondering if he should make a change; she had been back five days and Charlie was looking for flame throwers. Either way, he wasn't waving a memo at Mark proving this 'training' argument. He clicked his fingers as he thought of something. "Fireworks," he said. "One of the rez kids was a complete whiz with those… whats his name… there were always two of them?"

"Collin Littlesea and Brady Fuller."

"Collin. That's him. He drove us crazy after the rez cops collared him one too many times."

"I had forgotten about that." Charlie slapped him on the side of the arm. "Thanks, Mark."

Mark went back to his desk but he was fairly certain he heard voices out the back a few minutes later. Sounded a lot like Billy Black and a young woman. Just what was Chief Swan up to?

* * *

><p>Leah and Billy escaped out the back of the police station. Leah was snorting and covering her mouth to stop the laughter bubbling out. She had never understood what a pair of clowns Charlie and Billy were when they got together. She could remember Billy trying to run Charlie down with his wheelchair, but back on two feet Billy was also back to his old tricks.<p>

They must have been so much worse with her father, Harry and his friend Quil. She had seen a rare glimpse into the past and Billy reminded her so much of Jake only naughtier. Jake had always slowed down Quil and Embry.

She had nearly lost it when they had to keep quiet in the shelves of the police station evidence room. Luckily, wolf hearing had warned them the deputy was coming.

"Collin," Billy said. "I had forgotten what a terror he was, too."

"He was almost worse after he phased."

"Wolf senses made him un-catchable."

"Sam alpha ordered him not to do it on the rez-"

"-So he took it to town."

"The little shit. He knew what Sam meant."

Billy shrugged. "We all kind of let him off; he was so young."

She pointed at him. "Well, you shouldn't have. You basically told him it was okay. And he could have hurt someone." She looked at his face. "Oh, seriously? Tell me you did not do the same stuff when you were his age."

"I cannot tell a lie," Billy announced. His eyes danced.

"Oh, pfft." She rolled her eyes.

He grinned at her. "Can I buy you a coffee?"

"A coffee?"

"Yes."

"What are you up to?"

"Nothing. We can just sit and talk."

She thought she got it. "In _Forks_." Far away from the rez and anyone with wolf senses.

He nodded. "Is that a yes?"

In all the discussions with Embry about what he wanted, she hadn't stopped to think about what Billy wanted out of this imprint. Was he going to fight for her?

Regardless, he just started walking and she had to hurry to keep up with him. The diner was nearby and they settled into a booth, on opposite sides and then he added, as if they hadn't just been silent for ten minutes, "Of course, it would be nice if you did most of the talking."

"Why?" She was suspicious.

"Because Embry is making his feelings known, but you aren't." Reaching out he snagged a menu with one long arm. "You want anything?" I could go a second breakfast."

"You know what that makes you?"

He looked blank.

She cursed the pack for making her watch the Lord of the Rings movies. "A hobbit."

He frowned. "Okay."

He ordered two full American breakfasts and held the mushrooms on hers.

She gave him a puzzled look.

"You don't like cooked mushrooms," he said. "You'll eat them raw, but cooked they feel slimy."

"Huh."

The waitress filled their mugs and Billy settled back and stretched his legs out. "Now talk," he said. And he just nailed her with that look. The Billy Black patented look that used to make Jake just spill his guts.

"I-I'm okay," she stammered.

An eyebrow.

He'd know that she wasn't.

She twisted her napkin in her fingers. "Embry feels dumped…" And it just all poured out. She told him everything in a strained whisper that she knew he could hear. How much it hurt to see happy imprints like her mother's, how conflicted she was that they were happy and she was upset about it, how she was pleased her mother had moved on but she was still mourning for her father, even if he had been dead five years, how she had banned her mother from talking about it, how Embry had said if they were married that she might not have imprinted, how she didn't know what to say to Rachel, how she couldn't see a reason for it and how worried she was about what he wanted out of it.

"What I want out of it?" he repeated. He didn't answer her, but he looked as though he was thinking about it.

Their food had arrived by then and they both started to eat.

They were half way through before Billy spoke again, "Rachel found out last night. I didn't tell her, you didn't, Jake didn't, nor did Paul."

"Let me guess-"

"Yeah. She didn't take it well. But Paul stuck up for you."

"Really?" She remembered sticking up for him that awful day when the twins were fighting.

"We all avoided telling her."

"It wasn't a secret in the pack."

"That's what Paul said."

"I told them all at the meeting, just after it happened. I don't keep secrets from her."

"Well, now she knows."

"Did she have a specific issue?"

"No, just that you were her age."

"Like Bella?"

He smiled. "She won't mention _that _imprint. We can all see how good they are for each other. Even Charlie can see that." He pointed his fork at her for emphasis.

"He didn't like Edward, did he?"

"Used to deliberately get his name wrong to piss him off. Made sure he was always cleaning his guns around him."

Leah chuckled. "I can see that." She leaned forward conspiratorially. "You don't think the flamethrower is for Edward? His ass will be ashes when Charlie sees him."

Billy laughed just as he was about to take a sip of his drink. He coughed, spluttered, swallowed it down and wiped at his eyes with the napkin Leah passed him. "Don't do that to me, you made me choke."

"The word is snarfed."

"What?"

"When you snort drink out of your nose trying not to laugh. Snort laugh, snarf."

"There's a word for that? Why didn't I know that?"

"Coz you're an old man," she teased. She kicked him affectionately under the table.

He grinned at her.

She beamed back and then the thought occurred. They looked happy. "This should feel weirder than it does."

"If you say so," he said as he stole her hash brown.

"Is this what would have happened to Quil and Claire?"

"Good point... maybe. But it's a bit different."

"Didn't start when I was two."

"The gap is larger than fourteen years, as well."

The waitress refilled their coffees.

"You didn't answer me," Leah pointed out.

He looked contemplative. "I was dying ... and now, I'm not."

"Okay."

"So I will take everything life would like to give me, now. Provided that it is given."

* * *

><p>Josh and Bella had spent the morning working on her shield with a few of the wolves that were not on patrol or off doing other things. Swearing she had a headache, they had gone back to the cabin for a break and she had decided that having a long, hot soak sounded like a great idea.<p>

She lay in the bath watching him shave with a cool cloth over her forehead. He was just wearing a towel and as always, she was distracted by his body.

"Josh?"

"Hmmm?" He glanced at her in the mirror.

She sat up, folded her arms on the side of the bath and rested her chin on them.

"Charlie said something-"

"You call your father Charlie?"

"Not to his face."

He laughed. "Right. What? You were going to ask me something."

"I was…" She stopped.

"Changed your mind?"

Silence.

"What?" Josh pressed. "You've got me intrigued now."

"I dunno… he just made a comment about you and porn."

"Oh…and? You still haven't actually asked your question."

"Will you be upset?"

"How can I tell, you haven't asked the question yet?"

"You know what I'm asking. Did you do any? Porn, I mean."

He looked at her. "Yes, I did some."

"Oh."

She lay back in the tub and folded her arms across her body. She sunk down under the water until just her face was out.

"You asked," he said.

"Yes, I did."

Silence.

"Why did you do it?" she asked.

"Money. It was a small step from having your photo taken partially nude to fully nude, and then another step beyond that to porn. Plus it was kind of flattering to be asked."

"I suppose."

She was quiet.

He crouched down next to the bath. "Why do you ask me things if you don't want to hear me answer them?"

"I don't know."

"I won't lie to you."

"That's good. I don't like lies."

"Do you want to come to bed? Or do you want me to leave you alone?"

"No."

"Which?"

She sighed.

"Izzy?" He held her face. "What are you worried about?"

"Why you chose me?"

"I don't know why the gods made you mine, but I am very glad that you are. And I think you are beautiful and sexy and gorgeous and I can't keep my hands off-"

She threw herself at him.


	38. Chapter 38

**Chapter 38 - I'll be home for Christmas**

_Disclaimer: the characters and all recognisable situations belong to Stephenie Meyer - this is a work of fan fiction, except for the legends and histories of the Quileute that, of course, belong to them. I pay my respects to their gods._

_Thanks to BanSidhe [ruadh sidhe] and Feebes86 for betaing and pre-reading._

* * *

><p>No longer the naive virgin, Bella had still never had the opportunity to really examine someone's body. Her lovers had been quick assignations; an itch that needed to be scratched. None of them had been more than a night or two, that had, looking back, left her more unsatisfied. So Josh was the first guy whose body she had really explored.<p>

Now she took delight in finding things on Josh's body; a mole on his back, a scar on his buttock, he refused to tell her the story of how that happened and she laughed and let him keep some of his secrets.

She was reveling in this. His eyes were closed but a smile peeked at the corner of his mouth. She was lying on his body studying his face. Given he had just finished shaving, his cheeks were baby soft.

"Why are guys eyelashes always so long?"

"I don't know… hairier?"

"Huh." She found a spot behind his ear at the top of his neck that made him shiver. She buried her face in there and kissed it. He made a low hum noise.

"I bet your wolf likes that, too."

He smiled.

Her lips tracked down and out to the point of his shoulder, down the meat of the shoulder muscle and into his armpit. Her eager fingers traced his ribs and the bands of muscle on his torso. She licked at his nipples and watched them harden. A glance down his body showed that other parts of him were enjoying this, too. "You like it."

"I am finding it very hard to just lie here."

"I'm not teasing you - I'm exploring you."

"Go south," he hinted.

She chuckled, but she did.

He wasn't fully erect and she delighted in playing with the fine delicate skin covering his cock, tracing the crease between his balls with her tongue. The hot, musky scent of him filled her senses. She licked up his length to the rounded head.

He made a noise in the back of his throat and gripped at the bedsheets. Her fingers slipped under him carefully so that he lay against the soft underside of her fingers. She bathed him, laved him with her tongue, loved him with her mouth.

"Jesus, Izzy." He groaned.

She dug the point of her tongue in the dip on the underside of his now rigid cock.

He whimpered.

She wanted to hear him beg. Lifting him in her hands she planted a kiss on the rounded head. She could already taste him, leaking a little in his excitement. Her eyes closed and she kissed him again, this time pressing down hard and allowing the head to slide into her mouth. She held him there, lips closed around the cap and she rocked her head back in little movements, still holding him firmly; a look of pure ecstasy on her face. She held him until he begged.

"Please… Izzy, please…"

And then she worked him with hands and lips and tongue and a touch of teeth until his stomach muscles twitched and his knuckles clenched. When his hips lifted she knew he was close. Gasping and blowing she took him in as deep as she could. Her hands tightened around the base and she sucked hard.

He lost it. One hand grabbed at her head, tangling in her hair and he thrust up into her mouth for a few moments before she was swallowing him down.

"Oh, Izzy," he said and it sounded like a prayer.

"We should get back to the pack," she suggested.

"Soon."

She was sitting astride his hips. He snagged a pillow and shoved it behind his back. "Can you reach that bottle?" He pointed to a plastic water bottle on the side table filled with a murky brownish liquid. She had seen Old Quil hand it to him earlier.

"What is it?" she asked as she passed it to him.

"A potion." He made a face as he said it, eyes opened too wide.

She laughed. "For you, wolfman?"

"No, for you." He shook it up.

She looked doubtful. "It looks like ditch water."

"Probably tastes like it, too. He puts ground roots in everything."

At the look on her face he hastened to add, "Let me explain… it's kind of like a booster. Was it easier to use the shield today?"

She nodded.

"So it's like a muscle, the more you use it, the more you can feel… how to use it."

"Like exercising."

"Exactly. Now this," he held up the bottle, "should help you do more of that."

"You drink it, too," she negotiated.

"He didn't say I couldn't."

"No instructions?" she teased.

"Can't hurt. This is good, natural stuff."

"Right. Like ditch water."

"You first." He held out the bottle to her.

"I trust you."

"I know."

She drank until it was half full and then handed it to him. "Definitely ditch water. Blah."

He drank the rest.

They sat there for a moment.

"Now what? I don't feel different."

"Give it a chance." He gave her a serious look. "Now what was that self doubt stuff earlier?"

She shrugged and didn't reply.

"I think I know what it is."

"Oh, really?"

"That self doubting Bella isn't you. You're stronger than that."

"But it _was_ me," she confessed in a whisper.

"It's the Cullens maybe coming back, isn't it? The same way that talking to Allison made me feel like the piece of shit I used to be. It threw you back five years."

Josh touched her. His hands delicately running over her body.

Something was happening. She could feel it. It felt close to the way she had felt when they imprinted in the dream. But this was real and they were both awake.

She shivered, gooseflesh broke out over her skin and her nipples peaked. He noticed. Sitting on top of him she could feel his physical reaction to her.

"I meant it," he crooned to her. "I think of you all the time. I watch you, listen for you and my heart leaps when I see you after a break. I can feel it pulse in my chest."

She knew exactly what that felt like, too. "I look at you and I ache. I ache in a good way… right here." She held his hand under her jaw at the top of her throat.

His smile spread. "Yeah?"

"Kissing you makes it better." She lifted up on her knees, reached a hand behind her and grasped him firmly. Shuffling back she held him in position at her entrance. With her eyes closed and her mouth hanging open slightly, she sank down onto him. "Oh, yes," she breathed. "And that makes it even better."

Blindly she reached out. His fingers interlaced with hers.

"You're not that girl anymore," he told her. "You're my girl, my queen, my Izzy."

She felt bulletproof; invincible; loved.

His arm went around her waist and he sat up. He tugged at her leg, she shifted to allow the movement and he guided her leg around until her foot was on the bed behind his back. He lifted her to allow the second leg to follow.

She sat on him. Her arms around his neck and they kissed. His hands at her hips pushed her down onto him and at this angle he went so deep. She was impaled. On him, and on his tongue.

"Full," she said when he let her take a breath.

He understood; he always did. "Everywhere." He kissed her chest over her heart. "Full here…" another kiss on her forehead. "…and here…"

"And here," she added as she rocked onto his shaft. Arms wrapped around each other, faces pressed together. Joined.

"When I saw you in that bar, you looked tired and a little sad with the pathetic Christmas decorations. Making drinks and working the till. I wasn't sure it was you. My dream girl."

"You told me that before."

"Scent was the final key."

"You made me take a shower, back at your place."

"Yes."

"Huh. But you weren't a wolf, then."

"No. But he was close, just under the surface."

"But my shield blocked you out until you crept under it in the dream."

"Yes."

"I'm not shielding you now."

"No, you're really not. Can you sense where it is?"

"Yes. Touching you makes it easier to… feel it. I was going to say 'see' it but that doesn't work."

"Good." Kissing down her neck, his hands clasped her to him, still moving in gentle small movements. "I love you," he breathed at her as they rocked gently together. "You are my soul mate. My missing partner. The person I have been looking for all these years."

"Your imprint," she added.

He smiled. "Yes. You are the light of my soul."

"With lines like that you should write greeting cards," she quipped.

He was still staring into her face and he looked just the littlest bit worried.

"What?" she asked him.

"What if I had missed you?" he said in a ragged voice.

Clearly this was Josh's moment of self-doubt. "But you didn't. I'm here and we're here and we can do this."

"Together."

And then there were no more intelligible words; just the language of bodies fitting together.

Later, at yet more shield training, Niki's wolf sniffed at her obviously and she flicked him in the nose. The others all fell about laughing.

* * *

><p>Sue was rolling her head around on her neck.<p>

Charlie had to ask. "What are you doing?"

"My neck used to crack."

Charlie looked skyward. "Another blasted wolf bonus."

"And my hair feels great… feel it… doesn't that feel nice?"

He glared at her. "Uh, huh."

"Oh, don't be like that…"

"I suppose you are all flooded with awesome wolf bonuses," he grizzled.

"I _know_ I am," she suggested. She got him a beer from the fridge to apologize.

He looked the question.

"I got the best looking imprint. That's a bonus." She kissed him and passed him his vitamin R.

Charlie chuckled. "Flattery will get you everywhere."

"As long as it gets me to bed," she suggested slyly.

"Don't we have dinner guests?"

"Afterward, then."

"I will hold you to that."

"It'll be a late dinner, for Seth by the time he gets back from the store. I spent the day in wolf form. Josh has been trying to get Bella to work on her mind shield."

Charlie nodded seriously. "Yes, she needs it to be absolutely airtight. Or whatever."

Their dinner guest was Billy. He had been spending a lot of time at the Clearwater house. He enjoyed seeing his friends, and Sue suspected that he liked being around Leah. They were very careful not to sit too close or even seem to take that much notice of each other, but one thing she had noticed was that Leah was _there_ and not out somewhere else, so Sue suspected it might go both ways. She still wasn't entirely happy about the imprint, but Leah had banned her from discussing it.

And Leah wasn't visiting Embry.

She mentioned her concerns to Charlie.

"I know what you mean," he said. "They came into the station to check out our weapons cache this morning." He took a sip of his beer. "I often wonder what Harry would have thought about all this."

"He wanted to be a wolf. He always felt that he missed out on his tribal heritage. Not that I think he had any real idea what actual vampires are like."

Charlie wisely stayed mum. Sue didn't know what actual vampires were like, either.

"But I know he and Billy talked about what happened to our Quil."

"He drowned."

"I know… but they used to get drunk and imagine that if he was a wolf, he wouldn't have died."

"Crap - that's a point." A werewolf would be able to swim for miles. He looked at her seriously. "You do realize that Harry wouldn't have had a heart attack either."

"I know. And you wouldn't be here."

"No." Charlie rubbed his fingers down his mustache. "Look, Sue. I've lost people. I'm a cop… and we are at that age when we lose people to illness and disease, and that is never easy."

"No."

"So maybe some of your wolf bonuses are okay," Charlie suggested carefully.

"Like resistance to dying?"

"Yeah… and the bond thing."

"Are you coming around to imprinting?"

"Well, as you sensibly pointed out, it got me you… or you, me or whatever. And I know they have only been back for… what… five days? But Josh seems to be pretty good for Bella."

"Even though he's much older?"

"I admit I was not happy about that, but I see what Bella meant when she argued that he wouldn't age like any other guy his age." He held up his beer and toasted an absent Josh. "If nothing else, he brought her home. I will always thank the man for that."


	39. Chapter 39

**Chapter 39 - I'll be home for Christmas**

_Disclaimer: the characters and all recognisable situations belong to Stephenie Meyer - this is a work of fan fiction, except for the legends and histories of the Quileute that, of course, belong to them. I pay my respects to their gods._

_Thanks to BanSidhe [ruadh sidhe] and Feebes86 for betaing and pre-reading._

* * *

><p>Seth was making the trip to Forks to the Outfitters store. They shut at ten pm and marked all the meat down just before closing. Especially the barbecued chickens and he loved whole barbecued chickens. He was on a mission with strict instructions from his mother to buy everything and he clutched her credit card in his hand.<p>

He stacked it all in the cart, resisting the urge to chow down on one of the chickens before he hit the registers. It was making his mouth water and his stomach growl, when his wolf hearing picked up the sound of a small child crying.

"I want chicken," she wailed.

Shit. He had just cleaned out the whole display.

"Cash or card?" the cashier asked him.

"Oh… card." He waved it in front of the machine. He was still trying to listen to the other conversation.

"Sweetie, there are none left," the mother replied. "And I don't have enough money to buy takeout."

Seth glanced around, threw the last few bags in the cart and rushed out to load it all in the red truck, borrowed from Embry for the food run. He plucked out a still warm bag of chicken and headed off to find the small family. He found them by the side of the entrance to the store. The woman was strapping the little girl into her stroller.

"Chicken!" she wailed.

"Oh, honey," the woman said. Her voice cracked as if she was going to cry.

Seth felt like a heel.

"Excuse me?"

The woman stood quickly and defensively dragged the pram back away from him. He held up the bag and smiled down at the little girl. He tried not to look threatening but it was pretty hard given how physically intimidating he was. They were both frightened by him and he knew it. The mother was looking at him sceptically.

The small girl saw the bag. She waved her hands excitedly.

"No," her mother announced.

"It's a gift. Late for Christmas, I suppose." He kept talking to the little girl knowing that the mother would be swayed by her. He didn't even look at the mother.

"Mommy?" she asked.

He could hear her stomach rumble. The odor of cooked chicken was getting to her as well.

Now he glanced at the woman, and he stopped talking.

They both stood there for a minute.

Seth shook his head. "Sorry," he said.

She still looked suspicious. He noticed that they were not dressed very warmly for Forks mid-winter. They both looked cold, as if they had put on extra layers rather than a good quality warm coat.

"No," he said. "I'm inviting you both to supper."

"Supper?" the mother repeated. "Why?"

"It's the right thing to do and my mother will kill me if I leave you here where it's cold and you are both hungry and you have no dinner because I bought it all and you don't have enough money to buy any more. And it's late and she should be in a warm bed and the heater in the old truck still works. It's toasty warm in there."

She stared up at him and her face relaxed. "I don't know why I believe you," she said softly. "And I don't know how you know all of that."

"Do you have a car?" he asked her.

"No. We walked from the RV park." She pointed vaguely across the road. It was about 500 feet away.

"Chicken?" said the little girl hopefully.

"You can eat a drumstick in the truck if Mom says it's okay. Embry won't mind."

"Embry?" she asked.

"It's my friend's truck."

He started to shepherd them over towards the truck, chatting all the while about how it really used to belong to his other friend, Bella but that she left it behind and they looked after it and so on.

The mother looked slightly dazed by the out-pouring of all this information and she let herself be pushed gently towards the ancient vehicle. She noticed the back was full of food.

"Did you buy the whole store?" she asked him.

He laughed. "Almost."

"Big family?"

"You could say that."

"Okay. I still don't know why I am agreeing to this."

Seth tore off a drumstick and crouched down to give it to the little girl. He licked his fingers. "My name is Seth. What's yours?"

"Kaylee."

"Hello, Kaylee."

He lifted her out of the pram and held her on his hip. "What's Mommy's name?" he asked her in a whisper.

"Alex," she said to him as if it was a secret.

"Gotcha." He winked at her.

Seth helped Alex into the truck and then passed the child up to her. "The truck is old and only has lap seat belts. Is that okay?"

"That means we won't get pulled over for not having a booster seat."

Seth looked blank.

"They're exempt."

"Cool. I swear I know the Chief of Police anyway."

"Really?"

"Really."

He folded up the pram and put it in the back, too. It took him a couple of tries to work out how to fold it up.

He made a little skip in his step as he walked around to the driver's side.

"Alex? Should we go get your stuff from the RV park?"

"Okay," she said. She blinked as if she had surprised herself by agreeing.

"Cool."

They hadn't unpacked yet, so Seth just threw their bag in the back with the groceries. They only had one bag. Kaylee wanted her stuffed toy and her mother said she would hold it for her while she ate.

Seth paid their bill and argued with the guy at the desk about how much he wanted to charge them. Seth had a bad feeling about him. His wolf wanted to growl at the guy who seemed _too_ upset that the young woman was checking out. He had an instinct that this guy wanted to take advantage of her and now he wanted to protect her.

Kaylee fell asleep on the way to the rez and by the time they got there, Alex had somehow told him her life story even though he seemed to watch the road more than her. It wasn't a nice story and she picked nervously at the stuffed toy in her hand as she told it. They were on the run from an abusive ex.

Seth picked up Kaylee to carry her into the house.

"She usually wakes up," said her mother.

Seth put his arm around her shoulder and ushered her gently inside. She halted in the living room and looked towards the kitchen fearfully. It seemed full of people just as big as Seth. Her heart rate jumped.

"Mom," Seth called softly.

All the voices went quiet and Sue stuck her head around the door. She looked at the disheveled woman, the sleeping child and Seth almost bouncing excitedly behind her and she knew what the girl was even if she didn't know her name.

"Finally," she said before she smiled broadly at the young woman. "Hello. Come in. Do you need a hot drink? I'm Sue, Seth's mother."

Charlie had been too lazy to change and was still in uniform and that calmed Alex faster than anything else.

Leah and Lucas went to grab the groceries and Billy encouraged her to sit near him. The kitchen was warm and felt sunny and safe and she sat there watching with wide eyes as her child slept on Seth's lap. He laughed and held up the stuffed toy she was clutching. It was a wolf.

Everyone laughed with him.

By the time Alex had been fed, showered, and dressed in some of Leah's old clothes it was close to midnight. She lay on Seth's bed with her child asleep next to her. Seth was on the floor next to the bed.

He smiled when she reached down to pat him and make sure he was there before she fell asleep.

He told Quil that he had got two girls with his imprint as well

* * *

><p>Brady and Lucas had started a kind of routine. If neither was on patrol, Brady would come over and say goodnight. That was all that happened.<p>

Tonight, Lucas wasn't at the cabin and Brady went looking for him. He found him still at the Clearwaters.

Lucas was clearly excited about something tonight and Brady had to ask him what it was.

"We had some new arrivals. Seth went to the store and met this gorgeous little girl and her mother. And he brought them home. The mother's name is Alex and Kaylee is the little girl. Alex is a bit fragile but they are both so adorable and Seth?" He lifted both his hands in the air and slapped the palms against his neck. "Oh, my! Seth is over the moon!"

"She's his imprint?" Brady thought she must be for Seth to be dragging her home at this hour.

"Yes!" He squealed. "Isn't it wonderful?"

He supposed it was good for Seth. But it was another imprint when he was still struggling with his own. The younger wolf also suspected that Lucas was excited that he had come to collect him and that, as a result, they had a longer walk home together. He would be sure to see that as a positive step. But Lucas' simple joy for Seth was contagious. His face lit up as he talked about all the plans he had for where they would live, would they need his help to decorate and so on.

Brady couldn't help smiling at him, but he did ask, "That's up to them, isn't it, Lucas?"

"Oh, I know… but it is sooo exciting! I'm just beside myself. Do you think she'll call me Uncle Lucas?" He gave a little squee noise and hugged Brady impulsively.

They both froze.

Lucas pulled away quickly, his whole body tense and cowed. "Oh, shit! I'm sorry. I've ruined everything," he wailed.

Brady grabbed his arms to stop him panicking. "Shhh," he crooned.

Lucas blinked quickly.

"It's okay… I'm not angry with you." Brady held his shoulders and looked into his face. He was just a touch taller than the older man. His mouth was level with the tip of Lucas' nose. He had the random thought that he could kiss the end of it at this distance.

The second that Brady had phased, his childhood had ended and he was only thirteen years old. His parents still thought of him as a child, even now at eighteen, and it put him in a difficult position. He didn't fit _anywhere_, other than in the pack. _There_ he knew his place and it was at the bottom of the pack with Collin. It was one of the reasons he and Collin had been inseparable for years. At least until Lucas came along. Now with everything going on, he had less time for Collin and he felt guilty about that, too.

Lucas, who was older than him made him feel like _he_ was a leader. He looked up to Brady. He waited for Brady to react first. He hadn't even told him the news he was so excited about until Brady asked him about it. Josh was right. He was behaving like a natural submissive. Brady's actual age was irrelevant to Lucas, he knew his place with respect to Brady.

Brady was his leader.

"Brady?" Lucas asked, looking nervous. He was probably still thinking that he had upset him.

Brady had been staring at him while he was thinking. He ran his thumb across Lucas' cheek. "Sorry, I spaced out… I was just thinking." He kissed the point of his nose before he thought about it.

Lucas held his breath.

"Sweet dreams," Brady said before he left.

Lucas stood there for ages, touching his nose and staring after his imprint.


	40. Chapter 40

**Chapter 40 - I'll be home for Christmas**

_Disclaimer: the characters and all recognisable situations belong to Stephenie Meyer - this is a work of fan fiction, except for the legends and histories of the Quileute that, of course, belong to them. I pay my respects to their gods._

_Thanks to BanSidhe [ruadh sidhe] and Feebes86 for betaing and pre-reading._

* * *

><p>The last day of the year was spent in more training, preparations and general anxiety. Josh knew that some of his anxiety came from the feeling that he still hadn't spoken to Sam at any depth. They conversed in pack meetings and that was it. After his apology to Allison, he felt like Sam was next on the list.<p>

Sam was on patrol and Josh knew that, so why was he standing outside of the tiny, neat home with the flower boxes in the windows? Emily. Maybe she could help? He took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

"It's open," a voice called. It was Emily.

"It's Josh," he said, as he entered the neat and clearly well-kept home. He saw Emily trying to get up from the couch. "Oh, no. Don't get up."

She chuckled. "Truth is- I'm not sure that I can get up. I am a whale with this one."

She did look bigger than she should have at this stage of the pregnancy.

"Is it because it's number three? Or is it lying differently?"

"You know… I think that might be it. His feet are pressing on my spine and his head is out this way." She patted her stomach.

"He?" Josh checked.

"Sam says this one is a boy." She studied him. "So, what can I do for you?"

Suddenly tongue tied, he shrugged; unable to answer her.

She waved at a chair in a gesture for him to sit down. "You ought to know Sam isn't here, so you must have come to visit me. I know you haven't talked to him."

He shook his head.

"But you did try to talk to Allison?"

"Yes." He sighed. "She was still so angry."

Silence.

"And she has every right to be angry."

Emily looked at him, nodded her head and then appeared to look around her own living room.

Josh waited.

"I was at that meeting," she said. "Old Quil said he missed seeing the potential in you."

He nodded, not sure what she meant.

"I asked him later, what that would have been like for you to be struggling with that on your own.

"Oh."

"When Sam phased, because he was the first one, nobody knew what to expect or what was happening or even where he was. He spent two weeks alone in the forest, trapped in the wolf body before he managed to phase back to human. He told me that even then, he did it in his sleep and didn't know how to do it again."

"A baptism of fire… but how does that relate to me?"

"You would have been pretty much the same. Trapped, something happening to you that you didn't understand and you probably didn't want it to happen or know how to stop it."

"Maybe, but I had no fur," he said flippantly.

Emily gave him a serious look. "No obvious physical change might have made it harder to deal with it. If you hold up your hand and see a wolf paw, you know things are different."

That actually did make a lot of sense, but unlike Sam, he hadn't been able to sleep; the dreams made it all worse.

She asked quietly, "What did you see when you held up your hand, Josh?"

Unable to explain, he just shook his head.

She waited for him to speak.

Haltingly, he tried to explain it. "I thought I was insane… the dreams… I couldn't sleep for fear of dreaming… I saw the spirits. I saw the recent dead. I was smart enough to know not to tell anyone or they'd lock me up."

He hadn't been able to tell his siblings either and he had known at some level that they didn't see the same visions. To see the ghost of even a good friend after death was thought to be very bad luck to the tribe.

"So you self medicated? Knocked yourself out with drink?"

"And drugs."

She nodded.

Josh added, "That's no excuse for the other things I did. I ignored my child."

She gave him a perceptive look. "Is seeing Nate hard for you?"

"Yes, he's only a little older than Sam was… it's close enough to hurt."

"Nate has a nap after lunch otherwise he'd be here to see you. He talks about you a lot."

Josh listened. "He's awake and climbing out of his bed."

Emily sighed. "There goes my rest time. It's so hard to get them both to sleep so I can have a break."

Nate ambled out, eyes heavy with sleep, a blanket dragging behind him and a well loved stuffed toy under his arm. He didn't speak, just stopped and stood near Josh who picked him up and settled him on his lap.

"Emily, you sent Sam over with Nate to wake me up. Why did you do that?"

"It seemed to me that the wolf magic is based on blood and families."

Scenting Nate's hair, Josh muttered, "Of course it is."

Only people who carried genes from particular families phased. He knew that, and genes were basically blood. Families and blood connected them all. He had isolated the Clearwaters when they first phased, he had searched for his son and found Embry and he had done all of that using blood connections. Blood was the key.

His mind skittered away to wonder what effect it would have on the magic and how he could use it.

Nate patted his arm.

"Sorry, Nate. I was thinking about something." He glanced at Emily who still looked tired. "Would it be okay if Nate came to play with me for the rest of the afternoon?" He listened. "Ruth is still asleep and you'd get a break."

"That would be great."

He took Nate back to his room to get him out of the nappy he wore to sleep in and to deliver his blanket and soft toy safely into his car bed.

As they left, Emily kissed them both and held Josh's arm for a beat. "Sam was very worried about you when you were unconscious. The blood thing came from us talking about how we could help you wake up."

So his son didn't completely hate him? "Thanks, Emily."

"Bye, Momma," Nate said.

* * *

><p>New Year's eve - the bonfires were lit, people assembled in a haphazard way around the fire. Old Quil and Billy in pride of place. They told the tribal stories. They told all of them.<p>

There were a couple of people there who were hearing them for the very first time, like Candie and Angela and a few others who had not heard them for a very long time. But on this night, the last night of a year in which everything had changed; a year of unexpected wonders, the stories held a new power. They resonated in the hearts of them all.

The stories were the Quileute history; who they were before things changed. Before light skinned people arrive on their lands; people who were obsessed with owning land and possessing things. The tribe didn't own the land, ownership was a foreign concept to them.

Before those people brought illness and disease and the Quileute people died in the hundreds. Before the land they had chosen to live on was marked as theirs by invisible lines on the ground that appeared on a map and bound their world from all of the sky to a block of one square mile. Before even their tiny piece of land was coveted by others who tried to take it by force; who burnt down all the tribal homes and destroyed all the relics of their ancestors.

Old Quil and Billy told all the stories they could remember and when they had finished not one person had left the fireside.

"In the new year," Billy said. "We know that events will take place that will be the roots of new stories and they will be our tales. We will, as we have always done, tell these tales to our children and grandchildren. They are not stories for the wider world; they sound like fairy tales and like those, they warn and they teach if you can read the messages within them."

Billy spoke again, "I believe that we will defeat this enemy because we have to. To fight them is the right thing to do and the Quileute alone, of all the peoples and all the tribes in the world, have the skills to do it." He paused. "And the wider world will probably never know."

Bella was thinking about fairy tales and fiction. And how unfair it was that the world would not know.

* * *

><p>After taking Old Quil's mysterious potion Bella could hold the shield much better. It was as if the potion had enhanced her ability and her shield was on steroids. What it had done for Josh she didn't know. She was worried about that, so after the tales had finished she approached Old Quil to ask him about it.<p>

Josh saw her and wandered over to stand behind her. He kissed the back of her neck and embraced her from behind.

Old Quil just gave them a look when Bella told him Josh had drunk half of it.

"Will it affect him somehow?"

"What were you doing at the time," the old man asked, his voice scratchy from the long story telling session.

Bella pushed away from Josh and gave him a horrified glance. "It matters?"

Josh just told him, "We were fucking."

"At that exact moment?" the shaman pressed.

"A minute or so after we drank it."

The old man chuckled. "We will see what you can both do, now."

"It did feel different, the sex, I mean," Bella confessed. "Closer. Do you think it will affect my shield? I don't want it to be weak or have a … fault or a hole in it or whatever."

Old Quil looked thoughtful. "Perhaps the only hole in it will be for Josh."

The man in question raised an eyebrow at her. "You worry too much."

She rolled her eyes. "As if he doesn't sneak under my shield, anyway." She was thinking that he probably should have asked what was in it first before he drank it, as a recovering addict.

"Yeah, good point, I didn't know what was in it," he answered as if she had spoken aloud to him.

"Oh, fuck, no!"

"What?"

"I didn't say that out loud."

"Oh, you didn't?" Josh frowned. "Huh. I heard it. It's not a problem, the pack all read each other's minds all the time."

"I'm not _pack_!"

"You just have a little bit of pack in you now," Old Quil said.

Josh got a rascally look on his face. "Because you had a bit of pack inside you when we drank it."

Old Quil snorted.

"I will hit you," she threatened Josh.

"So now we know," said Old Quil. "Your shield can project thoughts at Josh. I can't hear you," he added. "I wonder if another wolf can?"

Josh called out, "Embry?"

Embry came over to them with a curious look on his face.

"Think something at him," Josh said, with a wave of his hand at Bella.

"Like what?"

"I don't know."

She stared hard at Embry but had nothing. "I can't think of anything."

"Of course you can, your head should be full of thoughts."

"But not ones I am actively thinking _at_ someone." She paused. "Oh… that's it. Like when I shield, I can feel it flex or open and close like a door or a shutter over a window…" she waved a hand in the air. "It's hard to explain… but if I want to send a thought I have to aim it. Like a beam…"

"So it's not involuntary?" Josh checked. "You have to want to send the thought?"

"I guess. Just like you choose what words to say out of your mouth. Although some days I doubt much thought goes into that," she teased.

"What _are_ you talking about?" Embry asked.

"Izzy can send me thoughts. We are just checking if it is only me." Josh looked amused by it all.

"Oh, okay."

Typical that a wolf not be off-put by this, Bella was thinking. _Wolves are weird_, she thought hard AT Embry. She remembered when Quil wanted to show Embry the memory of his first time with Candie, and Embry being completely okay about that.

Embry had an odd look on his face. "Am I meant to hear it?" he asked.

"Try me," Josh said.

_Wolves are WEIRD, _she mind shouted at Josh.

He cackled with laughter.

"I think he got that message," said Old Quil.

"What did she say?" Embry asked.

"She thinks wolves are weird."

Embry laughed. "I suppose we are. Too much over sharing."

Desperately trying to change the subject, Bella asked Old Quil, "Can you make a potion for all the imprints? So they can hear their mates, too?"

"No," he shook his head. "It probably only works with you two this way because you already possessed the mind shield ability and Josh has a magic of his own." He glanced at them. "Plus your imprint is different in some way."

"Stronger," suggested Embry.

"Better," said Josh.

"Oh, puleez," said Bella.

"Did you notice that you can guess what the other is thinking, before you drank the potion?"

"Kind of," Bella admitted. She remembered that the first time they saw the Black house, she had known what Josh was thinking.

Old Quil headed off to bed and Embry went back to the bonfire.

Josh grabbed her and hugged her in against him.

"Can you hear _me_ think at you?" Josh asked her, staring at her intently.

She looked at him. "You want to start the New Year with a bang?"

"Oooh. It works."

"No it doesn't, I just know that was what you were thinking."


	41. Chapter 41

**Chapter 41 - I'll be home for Christmas**

_Disclaimer: the characters and all recognisable situations belong to Stephenie Meyer - this is a work of fan fiction, except for the legends and histories of the Quileute that, of course, belong to them. I pay my respects to their gods._

_Thanks to BanSidhe [ruadh sidhe] and Feebes86 for betaing and pre-reading._

* * *

><p>"So you are on for sex?" Josh asked her as he brushed his lips down the side of her neck.<p>

"In the forest?" she checked.

"Yeah."

She looked at her eager wolf and glanced beyond him to the fire where people were still gathered. "A new year," she said pensively.

"Brilliant point. Hang on." Josh kissed her quickly. "Stand right here. Don't move. I'll be back."

He darted off and spoke quickly to both Embry and Sam. She watched him do that and she watched him walk back to her. As he noticed her attention, his face changed from a little concerned about something to that look he got when he was eager for sex. As if he wanted to eat her, and in the very good way. She shivered and put her hand up to her neck. He knew why. She had told him that she ached there sometimes; usually when she was looking at him.

He stopped in front of her and looked down, lifting his hand to brush over hers. "Do you want me to kiss that better for you?" he asked in a low voice.

She nodded.

He leaned down and pressed his lips onto her skin under the edge of her jaw. Her eyes closed and she held her head out of the way for him. His warm hand held the back of her head as his lips worked their way down her neck.

"So," he hummed against her skin. "Yes?"

"It's cold," she protested."

"Not with me."

"Tell me what you said to Sam and Embry."

"Later."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

He slid around behind her and pushed at her gently.

She laughed. "Okay… okay."

They stumbled further into the forest; walking was difficult with Josh plastered up behind her and he ended up half carrying her. They were both laughing.

"I can't see," she complained.

"Oh, but I can and I will steer you in the right direction."

"You'll tell me if I stand on something that bites, too, right?"

"Of course." He guided her over to a small tree. "Hang onto this branch. I promise it is bug free."

"Sure," she said dripping with skepticism.

"You haven't done this before," he realized.

She squirmed. "No." She could guess that he had; he had grown up in this area but she didn't want to mention it now.

"Nice," he breathed in her ear, his hands busy undoing her jeans. "First time for nature, huh? Don't let go of that branch."

"O-okay."

She jolted a little as his super heated fingers slid inside her clothing, digging under the layers until they found the first evidence of their target. They brushed over her pubic hair and she took a deep breath. Still kissing her his hand slid down and one finger dipped inside. She pushed back against him.

"You smell so good," he whispered to her.

She moaned when he took up a motion of small circles inside her panties with an occasional longer, harder stroke.

"Can they hear me?" she asked.

"Wolves. You'll just have to stay quiet."

She groaned, but appreciated him not lying to her. "Awww. I don't think I can."

He chuckled. His hand pushed down, shifting her panties and trying to give himself more room.

She let go of the branch and pushed at her jeans, sliding them down her hips to her thighs. She shivered as the cold air hit her warm skin.

He had stripped off behind her and was now naked. She could feel him. "You feel so hot." She reached a hand back and ran it down his body, over his ass to the back of his thigh.

He wrapped himself around her. Not an inch of space between them and his hand slid back in between her legs. He rocked against her, his cock especially hot against her ass and she had to grab back at the branch to keep her balance.

"Hang on," he reminded her.

"Yes," she said but it wasn't clear what she was responding to.

Panting now, she arched her butt, pressing against him impatiently. He kissed and sucked at her neck; a touch of teeth making her groan. Knowing she was close to losing it, his other hand wrapped between her breasts and held her jaw. "Shhh."

"I c-can't."

"Do you want some help?"

"How?"

He silenced her by holding his big hand right across her mouth. Her initial fear spike changed rapidly into something else and they both knew it.

"Oh, now," he whispered. "That was interesting."

Her legs were trembling, her body held taut and her muscles all tensed. Bound in his arms, she sucked in tiny, panting breaths through her nose before groaning harshly in the back of her throat. She started to orgasm and her hands locked around that branch. He nipped at her earlobe and kept up the strokes; harder now the way he knew she liked it. A rush of wetness came as her body sagged in his arms.

He let her catch her breath. The jeans held her legs together and made it harder for him to get inside her. He pushed into her, working his way in. He had to let go of her to do it and her head and upper body dropped down, still clutching at her handhold. Holding her at the hips he shunted her backwards onto him.

She cried out. Her arms were now fully extended. "Sorry… I… oh, god."

He clapped his hand over her mouth again, knowing she didn't want to be heard, but it was the hand he had used between her legs and all she could smell was herself.

He was driving into her. He loosened the hold on her face and she poked her tongue out and licked his hand. He pushed his hand back and forced that finger into her mouth. She groaned again. Her lips closed around his finger and she sucked at it; pressing her tongue up against it.

She knew he liked that because his pace increased.

_Yes… yes… yes,_ she was thinking. She had forgotten that she was thinking it at Josh.

"Oh, ho. You like that?" he whispered in her ear.

She closed her eyes in a slow blink and sucked hard at his finger. _Fuck me, Josh._

He increased the pace until her internal muscles were clutching at him, and she was about to lose it again. So much for being quiet; all she could hear was the wet sounds of them coming together and the slapping sound it made when he sank into her. He pulled her back hard and she gripped to the branch. He grunted and his arms locked around her. They crossed the finish line together.

She would have fallen but he held them both up.

She twitched when he withdrew; so sensitive.

He dressed quickly. Lifted her fingers to release the branch. She couldn't seem to let it go by herself. He kissed them.

She reached up and touched his face. "Happy New Year."

He raised a brow. "Same to you." He kissed her. "But I vote for doing that any day. Not just on calendar days." He helped her pull up her jeans. "Can you walk?"

She giggled. "I don't think so."

He swooped her up in his arms. "Let me carry you home."

She leaned her head against his chest.

"Oh, before I forget… I asked Sam and Embry to help me make my spirit stick."

"Oh. I had forgotten about that. Thanks."

"What did you say? In the meeting?"

"I said that you came home to make one… with the wolves, the whales and the cedars; the trees of your tribe."

"And my sons."

"It'll be perfect."

"It just seems… right."

* * *

><p>He met them at the forest clearing a half hour before dawn. Embry looked intrigued and Sam looked wary.<p>

Josh spoke in a low voice in the eerily quiet forest. "Thanks for coming." He added before they asked, "I need to make a spirit stick."

"And you need _our_ help?" Sam's tone implied that Josh was not much of a shaman if he needed their help to do it.

Embry gave Sam a look and touched him gently on the arm.

Sam deflated a little. He was very intense on tribal traditions.

"Yes, I need your help. More specifically, I need you and your blood."

"Why?" Embry asked.

"Blood is the key to the wolf shape-changing ability. Blood is what binds us together. I found Embry that way, too."

"Father and sons," Embry said.

"And I would like both my sons to help me."

Sam made a low huff noise that may have been agreement.

A questioning look from Josh elicited a short nod.

Josh had cut the branch earlier, while he was waiting for them. A nice, straight cedar about twenty inches long and a bit more than three inches in diameter; he could just about get his hand around it. It felt heavy and solid. And it smelt like his Izzy. It was the branch she had hung onto when they had sex earlier. Besides being the right size and weight, it felt significant to him that she had held it in her hands when they were joined in their favorite way.

He used the knife again and stripped the bark from the branch and with quick, rough knife strokes he fashioned a head at the end. The long snout of a wolf with its nose matching the end of the stick. He carved triangles for ears and marked where the mouth was, but it was closed. This wolf was watchful and observant, not about to bite someone.

Embry dug in the earth and found a burnt piece of wood from the fire pit. Josh used it to make black marks on the stick, marking it off in three sections. Sam went and found some ocher; rust colored earth that Josh used to rub over the carved shape of the wolf. A final twist of the burnt stick to make the dark eyes of the wolf and its nose.

He hummed to himself as he worked and Embry started to join in.

"Three," said Sam.

"Three sections on the staff," Josh said.

"Three wolves," Sam said.

"Three men," Embry added.

"Three sides to our nature," Josh said. "Man—"

"Wolf."

"Family," said Embry

"Three facets to our lives," Josh said. "Self—"

"Pack."

"Tribe."

"Three loves in our hearts," Josh said. "Izzy."

"Emily."

"Leah."

There was a moment's silence after Embry's announcement. Not that any of them were surprised.

"If we are all wolves do you need some of our wolf hair?" Embry suggested.

"That would be good." Josh had some leather thongs in his pocket.

Each of them phased and one of the others pulled a tuft of hair from their pelt. Josh tied them to the stick with the leather thong; two black and one grey. Josh noticed that Sam took the hair from one of wolf Embry's dark spots so that it matched more closely to theirs.

"What now?" Sam asked. "Blood?"

"You'll bleed for me, Sam?"

Sam's dark eyes studied his father.

Josh was frightened that he would tell him how much blood he had already lost; how many gallons of tears he had already cried. He glanced at Embry who looked wary. He knew Embry had cried over his absent father, too.

"I'll go first," Josh suggested. He cut across his palm with the knife and wiped the blood in the second section, closest to the wolf's head. Sam took the knife from him and did the same.

"Thank you, Sam," Josh whispered.

"Emily trusted you with our son."

Josh nodded. Sam cut his hand and wiped his palm in the same section, just behind the mark of Josh's blood and Embry followed suit; coloring the third part of that section.

Holding it up they all looked at it. The stick was complete. The first part was a wolf, the second part marked with their blood and the third part was held in Josh's hand.

They all looked at it as if they expected it to do something.

Sam chuckled. "I don't know what I expected."

Embry laughed nervously.

"It's not… awake, yet," Josh said.

"Okay… how do we wake it up?" Embry said.

Josh remembered how he had pushed Billy into phasing by singing. "We sing."

"The sun is about to rise," Sam noted.

"Perfect. The sunrise of the first day of a new year," Embry said; his voice almost reverent.

"We need a drum." Sam looked around as if he expected one to just be there.

Josh kicked himself for not bringing one.

"Log," said Embry as he took a few quick steps toward a fallen tree. He smacked it with a hand and it made a hollow thrumming noise.

Josh smiled at him. "Perfect."

They all dragged it over to where they had made the stick. Location seemed important to this ritual. A glance at the sky showed they still had enough time.

Embry was standing on the other side of the log. Josh laid the stick on top of it and reached a hand out to his younger son. Embry took it. Sam took his other hand and then the men held hands, together they formed a circle with the spirit stick in the center.

"A circle… three," said Josh.

As the color just started to bloom at the edge of the sky, they sang. They sang their hopes, their strengths, their loves, their heart… they sang and the stick rose into the air. Embry startled a little but Josh squeezed his hand. Together the three felt the magic weave through their joined hands, held within the circle of their hands just like the circles he had drawn around himself and Izzy during the dream.

As the song changed, the stick moved.

Their voices rose in the song and the stick lifted up into the air. Hanging vertically with the wolf head at the top. It rose to the height of their heads. They stopped on a breath and the stick thumped down onto the hollow log and made a loud thump sound.

They all jumped a little their hands clenching. Josh kept singing and the stick remained upright. The others joined him again and as they built up; the stick rose and drummed down.

Three times, they did it.

Once for each of them, once for each of their different parts and their loves.

After the third strike, the song died, Josh released Embry's hand and snatched it out of the air.

Sam shivered. "That was…" He shook his head.

"Awesome," Embry said as he clambered over the log to join them.

Josh, overwhelmed by the moment, hugged them both, still clutching the stick in his hand.

It took Sam a moment, but he hugged him back.

"I couldn't have done it without you," Josh told them. "I am so proud of you both."

"I should get back to Emily," Sam said.

"Thanks, Sam. Embry? You want to come back to the cabin? Make Izzy breakfast?"

"Is she an early riser?"

"Not particularly."

They watched Sam leave. Embry commented. "He's getting there."

Josh sighed. "Small steps."

"Why did that stick smell like Bella?" Embry asked, as they walked back to the cabin.

Josh laughed. "Do NOT tell her that you could scent that."

"Why no-… oh." He grinned at his father.

Josh held up his new spirit stick. "Part of all of us."

"Even the chief."

"What?"

"Red wolf," said Embry with a nod at the stick.

* * *

><p>[AN: I did do some research on spirit sticks, and what the Quileute ones looked like, but most of this is from my over active imagination and if it is wrong, no offense is meant.]<p> 


	42. Chapter 42

**Chapter 42 - I'll be home for Christmas**

_Disclaimer: the characters and all recognisable situations belong to Stephenie Meyer - this is a work of fan fiction, except for the legends and histories of the Quileute that, of course, belong to them. I pay my respects to their gods._

_Thanks to BanSidhe [ruadh sidhe] and Feebes86 for betaing and pre-reading._

* * *

><p>"We have to kill one of the Volturi messengers," Jasper said.<p>

Emmett lifted a brow. "Oh, right. Alice said they are sending two messengers. One is clearly a spare."

"It reeks of extravagance," Jasper said with a grin.

"And the wolves got to kill one; it's not fair if we don't match them," Emmett complained.

"Exactly."

"We'll save them some travel expenses."

"Fold his cloak for him. It will be a _him_, right?"

"He won't send Jane after she messed up the Victoria thing," Rose pointed out.

Emmett grinned at her. "They can recycle; another guard can wear it."

Carlisle sighed. It was an affectation given that he didn't breathe. "This will mean war."

"It's already war," Jasper said. "You heard Billy. He said even the wives were coming."

"That was what their seer said."

"How did he even know there _are_ wives?" Emmett asked.

"Bella knew that, I think." Jasper looked at the doctor. "I hate to say it, but they have to be right."

Emmett managed to look concerned even though Jasper knew his major emotion was elation. He loved a fight and he saw this as a game.

Jasper was more circumspect. "We need all the info we can get on each and every guard member."

"I can tell you about a few of them and Eleazar, from the Denali coven, will know more, but as far as the recent additions go?" He shrugged. "I can't help you there."

"There must be people we can contact who have had run-ins with them."

"And survived," Emmett added. "They can show Edward."

"They will probably demand that we hand over Bella without a fight," Carlisle suggested.

"As if we'd do that!" Emmett sounded disgusted at the thought.

"It might gain us some more time, though," Esme said. "Negotiating things we will never agree to."

"Esme," Emmett joked, "You're getting sneaky."

"I know where they will be-" Alice said.

"-And we can intercept them," Jasper finished.

"Send one back with our message," Emmett added.

"And never let them get near Bella," Rose said.

Edward could hear them and he was pleased that his family held the same high regard for Bella as he did. They would do the right thing for her.

* * *

><p>Carlisle was thinking that he needed to contact Billy himself to tell him what they had learned from the Denali clan and then he had to call them back with their response for the guards.<p>

Jasper was certain he was still eager to hear about the retreat of the diabetes but he wanted to hear what what said so he listened in shamelessly.

Edward was just listening in anyway. This concerned Bella. As Carlisle was preparing to make the call, he thought of the last time that he and Billy had spoken; before Edward's return. With his perfect vampire memory, he replayed the conversation, knowing that Edward could hear it in his head.

"_Carlisle? Thank you for calling back. Jasper has told you of our… issue."_

"_Yes. We will assist in whatever way we can. Of course we will. The family can live in our old house. Is that close enough?"_

"_I think so. All of you?"_

"_Edward is out of contact at present, but I believe he will join us."_

"_I see."_

"_How is Bella?"_

"_She is well. Tired of hiding. She has bonded with a wolf. It might be good to inform Edward of that."_

"_I see. Was it Jacob?"_

"_No. I would have been happy with that, but she chose another. A Uley."_

"_I remember Levi."_

"_Yes, of course. He is Levi's grandson, Joshua Uley and I think he is good for her. He grounds her."_

"_That girl is… one of a kind," Carlisle noted._

"_We believe that, too and her mate is no ordinary wolf. He has the magic of a shaman."_

A Uley. Edward remembered Levi as well at the treaty signing. He had radiated hatred of the cold ones and disapproval of Ephraim's treaty, but as a loyal wolf, he was there and he voiced none of his doubts. He wasn't to know Edward could hear his thoughts.

Her mate. Her _older_ mate. Edward thought about the last time he had seen the current wolf pack. Sam had a mate, and Jasper said that he had rarely seen bonds between a couple so strong, or so tight. The other wolves were the same with their imprints. He also knew Bella. She never did anything by halves. He was intrigued to meet this guy. He thought Alice would be dying to see him, as well.

Carlisle glanced at Edward and started dialing Billy's number.

After making some small talk, he paused. "We have confirmation. It _is_ the Volturi."

"How do you know that? Bella explained about Alice's gift." Billy's voice could be clearly heard by the others.

"We have friends in Denali, Alaska. At this moment they have two guests; Volturi guards. They ask after my family and Bella. They are polite but the message is plain."

"So she was right." Billy's voice was flat. The confirmation meant that they really were in mortal danger. No leader wanted that for his people and whatever faint hope he had that they were not under threat, faded. "They want Bella?"

"Yes."

"Do you know the specifics of what the guards want?" Billy asked.

"Information from the Denali coven. I assume that it suits your purposes to tell them the truth?"

"Yes. Tell them she is here. Will they come to Forks to check?"

Carlisle looked at Jasper, who nodded.

"Alice had a vision of them heading for Forks, plus we intend to … intercept them before they get near the town. Jasper suggested we meet the pair of guards alone and send one back with our message. That will prove both our commitment to the treaty and to protecting Bella."

"The message?"

"That they have to come to Forks to fetch her."

Billy sighed. "It is unavoidable."

"It will take them some time to come in any numbers and way before then, we will be back at our old home. We can arrange a face to face meeting with you then."

"Bella believes that it is not just her they want to join the Volturi."

"Alice and Edward have rare gifts, and Aro did ask them to become guards once before, but that will _not_ be happening."

"No."

"Good. We will be in touch when we arrive." Carlisle oozed curiosity and Jasper and Edward left the room just as they heard Carlisle ask, "If you have time, may I ask you a few more questions about your diabetes symptoms?"

Alice would want to know everything.

* * *

><p>Eleazar &amp; Carlisle had another conversation after the guards had left. The old guard member felt obliged to warn them what was coming even if he suspected that Alice already knew.<p>

"You didn't see fit to warn my coven that they were coming," Eleazar accused.

Things between the two covens had been strained since Carlisle had asked them to help them fight Victoria and her newborn army. The Denali coven had agreed to help but Irina demanded that they be given the right to kill the wolves that had murdered Laurent. Carlisle refused, knowing that Laurent had intended to kill Bella, and the shape shifters had only intervened when it was obvious that Bella would be harmed.

"Alice knew they meant you no harm."

"But now they go to Forks."

"We know. We also believe that when we refuse to comply with their… request, the guards will report to Aro and that all the Volturi will return to force us into line."

"All of them? Here?"

"Within weeks." Carlisle didn't tell him it was not Alice's vision that they were relying on for that time line. "I cannot ask you to help us," Carlisle stated.

"I do not think that we will be helping you. I cannot risk my family for a human that has no links to us or … _really _to your family," Eleazar replied. He spoke carefully. He knew of the Cullen family's love for their human but he also knew the Volturi better than most. The women of his coven were succubi and they adored their human lovers. But they would not hesitate to hand them over to the Volturi if ordered to do so.

"I understand." Carlisle sounded as reasonable as he always did. "We have both lived with the Volturi. We know what they are capable of."

"Are they overstepping their boundaries?" Eleazar asked.

"We know that they were aware of Victoria's newborns and gave her free rein in an attempt to damage us."

"That is contrary to their own laws."

"Indeed. There were dozens of deaths in Seattle. Victoria made no attempt to hide the damage or to train the newborns in any way. They were creatures of instinct; trained to react to Bella's scent. There was only one who was redeemable and Jane executed her in front of us after we offered her amnesty."

Silence for a minute as if Eleazar was making a decision.

"Tanya asks after Edward. Does he still love this human girl?"

"Yes, Edward still loves her. She is now mated to one of the shape shifters."

"Even though she is no longer in love with him?"

"Yes. We all feel a need to protect that girl."

"That is, indeed, what I told the pair of guards."

"Eleazar, please just tell me what gifts your guests had."

He did and he listed the gifts of as many other guard members as he could think of as well. He said it was all he could do. He promised to help Carlisle with more information if either thought of anything they had missed, but they would not come to fight with them.

Carlisle was pleased; he didn't want to risk his friends, either.

* * *

><p>The two Volturi guard left Alaska satisfied that they had been given the truth. Bella Swan was not a vampire and didn't intend to become one.<p>

Eleazar told them that the Cullens would protect her, as they had always done, but Santiago didn't believe him. Nobody opposed the Volturi.

The law was clear and inflexible. She had to die or be taken back to Volterra to be punished.

Santiago was a fighter and a good one, not in Felix's league but he had an extra skill; he was fast. His companion was normal; given that normal for a vampire guard meant blindly loyal and ruthlessly efficient. Santiago didn't imagine that there would be any issues with the second part of his task. Fetch Bella and bring her to Italy alive. Aro wanted her alive. He was very insistent about that.

* * *

><p>Bella wasn't awake. She was somewhere under a pile of blankets in the bed.<p>

"Approach cautiously," Josh said, as he put the stick on the dining table and headed for the kitchenette.

Embry leaned over and peered into the mound. "She's sound asleep."

"You want coffee, toast, or cereal?" Josh asked him.

"Yes, please."

"Fair enough. I'll bet you are over at the communal kitchen when it opens, too."

"I've been hungry since I was fifteen," Embry joked.

At the look on Josh's face he hastened to add, "I didn't mean because of you…"

"The wolf."

"Yeah. Always hungry."

"Right. Are you okay with your mother gone?"

"Better than with her here."

Josh wanted to ask about Tiffany but didn't; Embry seemed in such good spirits this morning. "Tell me what you do with yourself when none of this stuff is happening."

They sat and ate, Embry leaning forward on his chair to talk about the fishing boat he and Quil had converted. They ran whale spotting tours and wanted to do more scuba dives but the gear was expensive. They had both completed dive courses and could help people who brought their own gear. Josh asked a question when Embry stopped talking, more of a push than an interrogation. He was actively listening, rather than talking about himself.

In one break, Embry pointed at the spirit stick. "How did you know what to do?"

"I didn't. I knew I wanted you both there… but I just followed some basic tribal traditions and then followed…" he stopped.

"Your guide?"

"Yeah… I guess that is it. Something tells me what to do. Spirit guide?"

"Did it work?" Bella mumbled from the bed, as she moved to sitting up with her back against the headboard.

Embry's face lit up. "It was awesome, Bells. You should have seen it. The sun was coming up and we were all singing. And it was beautiful."

"Sam showed up?" she checked.

Josh made her a coffee. She clambered out of the bed and still wrapped in a blanket, sat down at the table. She rubbed her face, put her feet up on Josh's lap, sipped her drink and listened to Embry talk about the ceremony.

She fussed over the healing cut on their palms, looked amazed when Embry said it had floated in the air and touched it reverently when Josh held it out for her to see.

"The carved wolf is really cool. You're magic," she told Josh.

"You know it," he replied.

* * *

><p>The Volturi guards headed off to Fairbanks to get a flight back to Seattle.<p>

"We are cutting this too close, Alice," Edward said for the tenth time. All the Cullens were assembled and waiting in the forest just south west of Olympia.

"It will be fine, Edward. It is too erratic to wait for them en route. They made a firm decision to get a flight. It would take days to drive the distance from Denali." She touched his face. "Don't doubt me now, brother."

Emmett flexed his shoulders. "They won't get past us." He was itching for a fight.

Alice got that glazed-eye look. "They are running, now. Santiago is fast."

They all waited in complete stillness; listening intently. At a signal from Alice, they spread out.

Edward recited what the guards were thinking.

"Santiago has slowed his pace… he is aware of us."

The Cullens saw a brawny vampire wearing the dark gray cloak of a guard. His skin was still dark, reflecting his heritage from Mexico or somewhere in the South American continent. Ears pierced with heavy, gold earrings and his eyes turning dark. He hadn't fed for a few days. The smaller vampire behind him seemed more nervous and uncertain.

"He knows who we are," Edward supplied. "Our golden eyes tell him exactly who we are and he can count, too. Seven golden-eyed vampires means we are the Cullens."

"Could you stop that!"

Edward continued, "They do not have a human girl with them. Nor can he sense her nearby."

Given the copper haired boy wouldn't shut-up, Santiago decided to just ignore him. "Dr Cullen," he said and noted which of them nodded.

"I am Santiago, Guard of the Volturi."

"Welcome to the United States," Carlisle said.

"I am not here as a tourist," he sneered. "You must hand over the human, Bella Swan."

"She is not with us. As you can see." Carlisle waved a hand at the forest surrounding them to indicate how empty it was of small human females.

"Tell me where she is!"

And then the boy with copper hair just said, "No."

The two guards had not anticipated that.

"No?" Santiago repeated. "Aro will not be pleased."

"Perhaps not, but which one of you will relay the message for us?" Jasper asked.

As they talked, the other Cullens had circled around.

Seven against two was hardly a fair fight. Especially when the mere sight of Jasper's skin covered in vampire bites had terrified the junior one. A terror that seemed to build upon itself until mindless fear overwhelmed him; a judicious application of Jasper's gift to affect emotions, of course. Santiago tried to fight but he was as strong as Emmett and not as fast as Edward. And in any case, Edward had the advantage of reading Alice's mind as she showed him where the guard would run.

"That was too easy," said Rose with relish as they burnt him to ash.

Jasper was still holding the other vampire who was so paralyzed with fear that he seemed unable to run.

"Here is the message…"

They made him repeat it back to them to make sure he had got it. Even vampires made mistakes under stress.

Then they let him go and watched him scurry away like a panicked rabbit.

"It is done," Carlisle said. "War is declared."

[AN: Santiago isn't described in the books, so this is movie version of him]


	43. Chapter 43

**Chapter 43 - I'll be home for Christmas**

_Disclaimer: the characters and all recognisable situations belong to Stephenie Meyer - this is a work of fan fiction, except for the legends and histories of the Quileute that, of course, belong to them. I pay my respects to their gods._

_Thanks to BanSidhe [ruadh sidhe] and Feebes86 for betaing and pre-reading._

* * *

><p>Esme was eager to see the Forks house. It had been her favorite place to live, out of all the houses she had renovated. The massive metal shutters had kept it free from storm damage or the visit of the occasional vandal. They had left a large amount of the items inside, knowing they would be safe. Most of Edward's belongings were in situ simply because he had left the country so soon after the wedding was canceled.<p>

The Cullens had moved house so many times that they had it down to a familiar routine.

Emmett complained about how out of date all the electronics were after five years.

It wasn't until Edward saw the enormous frame on the stairs; completely filled with a veritable rainbow of High School graduation hats, that he thought to ask, "Do you all still attend school?"

Rose shook her head. "We can all pass for older. Most of us actually _are_ older than school age."

"And the electronic tracking means our faces are already in too many yearbooks," Emmett added.

Edward wasn't sure why they bothered to lie to him. Perhaps they had got out of the habit of supplying information to him through their thoughts. Those thoughts told him that the whole rigmarole of attending school had largely been for his benefit. An attempt to expose him to more people, get him out of the house and socializing. If you called them sticking together in their own little group socializing. Nobody had ever sat at the Cullen table, except for Bella Swan.

If he hadn't gone to school, he would have remained at home, playing the piano and memorizing Shakespeare. He often envied Carlisle his vocation. Being a doctor to him was more than a career, it was his life purpose and Edward had never had such a calling.

"It worked," he said. "I met _her_."

Rose's thoughts were full of what had happened to the little stone cottage, built as a wedding gift for them. It didn't have the protective shutters of the main house and she worried that forest animals might have found a way in.

"I will go and see," Edward suggested to her unspoken question.

"I'll come with you," she said brightly.

"No… don't." He sounded more severe than he meant to be.

Emmett placed a hand on Rose's arm and she let Edward go alone.

"This is so hard," she whispered to her partner after Edward had left.

"I know."

Alice was very distracted and nobody noticed for quite some time, that Edward hadn't come back from the cottage.

"Oh, NO!" Alice said, when an insistent vision got through. "Blackness."

Jasper knew what had happened the instant she said it. "He's gone for the treaty line."

* * *

><p>Carlisle phoned Billy immediately.<p>

Josh got the call from Billy. He was working on the spirit stick with Old Quil and they were alone. The old man gave him a significant look. Bella was shield training with Jake and some of his pack.

"Give me a ten minute start before you call Jake?" he begged Billy.

"You're sure?" When silence was the answer, Billy added, "Just don't break the treaty."

Josh phased and ran. Billy hadn't asked how he knew where Edward would go, but he had to assume that Edward knew Bella was human. She still used roads and cars. He was also assuming that Edward wouldn't break the treaty, either. This whole feint and run was designed to attract the most attention. Attention that would draw Bella to him. He really was an eternal seventeen year old.

So when the thin, white vampire arrived at the treaty line, Josh was nonchalantly leaning against the sign welcoming visitors to La Push, looking far more relaxed than he had a right to. He recognized Edward immediately from the dreams that he had shared with Bella. He tagged him as pretty, but too pale to be handsome; more statue-like than he had expected. His wolf didn't like him at all.

He told the wolf to be calm; that they were not threatened by this guy. He was so utterly certain that she loved him. He was more worried about how she would take this meeting. This was a family that she had been ready to join, and not just in marriage but for eternity. That wasn't an easy decision to make in the first place, let alone the fallout from changing her mind. He wanted to see this Edward for himself. He'd make it up to Izzy later in some way that he knew she would enjoy.

"She was quite certain of me, also," Edward said.

Mind reader. Josh had forgotten that. He wanted to suggest that reading people's minds without consent was rude, but he didn't and then he thought that he had just thought it so he had kind of said it. And fuck, mind readers were annoying. "Right up until when she changed her mind," he pointed out. He smiled at him, politely. "Hello. You must be Edward Cullen." A pointed reminder that people didn't start conversations like that.

"And you must be Joshua Uley."

"That I am."

"I recognize you from your photos… and videos," Edward added after a pause.

Videos… right. He thought he knew what that was a reference to. Porn. So it was going to be like that.

"And I know you from her dreams." He could not help thinking of the nightmare she had described to the tribal council. They had shared it in a dream one night. In full, dream Technicolor it was enough to make anyone rethink a decision. Everyone she loved, in a pile of blood soaked corpses; dead at the hands of a vampire baby.

"You think that dream was a warning," Edward said.

"Yes, if not a vision of a possible future."

"It is forbidden to make vampire children."

"Forbidden by the Volturi?"

A nod.

Maybe some of their rules weren't so bad, Josh was thinking. A vampire child would be utterly uncontrollable; just as the dream showed. And a newborn one? The stuff of nightmares.

"What if the child in the dream was not entirely vampire? If she was still human on the honeymoon? Could you have a child from that union?" Josh suggested. He wasn't sure why he couldn't say her name to Edward. He got a sense of ownership from his wolf.

Edward looked disturbed. "A human vampire hybrid? I-I have not heard of such a thing, but I will ask Carlisle."

"I am certain of it."

"Such a thing would have killed her."

"Yes." Josh knew she would not have aborted it, either.

"Wait… that was not _your_ vision, but hers."

"She has shown me." Take that, mind reader. "We share dreams." He tried terrifically hard not to share their imprint dream; not with _him_.

"You … dream walk with her?"

"Yes."

Edward looked crestfallen. "Such a gift… when I cannot even read her mind."

Josh shrugged. He thought Jake often knew what she was thinking without having to read her mind. He felt the wall slam down. He smirked. She knew him too well.

Edward frowned and stared at him. "What just happened?"

"She doesn't trust me."

"What?"

"Her shield is closed."

"She can shield?"

"She can stop _you_ reading her mind. She stopped others. She is now aware of how to work it more effectively and has been practicing to stretch her ability."

"As a human?"

"With me. We can do more together. She has really improved, as you can tell."

"She is shielding your thoughts from _me_?" He sounded incredulous.

"She worries." He deliberately thought of her on her knees in front of him, her hands reaching for the fly of his jeans. He hoped she might get an echo of it.

"She is nearby, then."

Josh could hear the truck coming and the vampire probably could as well.

"Relatively, but we have been working so that she can cover the pack." He remembered that Edward had been tortured in Italy. "I believe you have felt Jane's power?"

The vampire shuddered. "Yes, it is well to cover all the wolves. Do not leave _any_ in her or her twin's reach."

Josh heard noises in the forest. "Your family approaches."

But Edward was looking down the road into the tribal lands.

Billy hadn't given him ten minutes, but it was long enough. The red truck pulled up. Embry was driving. Bella was in the center with Jake at the window.

She marched over with Jake and Embry flanking her. She looked physically tiny between them and hugely annoyed.

Josh waited. He watched Edward's face as he saw her. His wolf was pleased that Bella reeked of him. Plus, Edward had already got his scent and he knew he reeked of her. But the man was interested to see how they would handle this meeting.

She stopped equidistant from each of them.

Josh almost smiled. He was in so much trouble.

Edward looked as if he was in pain. "Bella," he whispered.

"Billy called us," Embry said with a pointed glance at his father.

Josh didn't say anything.

Edward glanced between Josh and Bella, clearly trying to work out what was going on. Without his mind reading skill he was head blind.

"Thank you for coming when we asked you to," Bella said as if Edward wasn't breaking the rules by being there. "Should we wait for the others?"

Edward looked confused. "Wait? If you wish."

"I am sorry my blood causes you pain."

Josh wanted to twitch at that statement but he held himself still.

"My tolerance has diminished," the vampire replied. "But it will just take time and exposure to increase it."

Jake snorted scornfully, as if Edward would not get the chance for either.

Bella ignored him.

Jake looked particularly unhappy to see Edward. Josh had seen some of his memories in wolf form. This was the spot where Jake and Edward had passed Bella over like separated parents swapping the kid at McDonalds. When Jake was allowed access to his human friend. It was another reason why he had known Edward would come here. He nearly snorted himself, when he realized that none of them had shirts on and that Edward had always hated that about Jake. _Doesn't he own a shirt_, he had snarked within Jake's earshot at one pickup time.

Josh caught Jake's eye and did a pec flex. Jake snorted again. This time it was more amused.

Bella smacked him in the stomach with the back of her hand.

Josh snorted, now. Embry rolled his eyes.

Edward looked as if he wanted to ask what the joke was; he really was lost without his ability.

Bella took a deep breath and stared at the ground.

Josh wanted to ask her why her blood was painful to him, but wouldn't do it in front of Edward. She was shielding so hard that he suspected it would drop soon. He wanted to walk over and hug her, but he knew that she wanted to do this by herself, to prove that she could.

When the Cullens arrived, they looked startlingly light to Josh. Too pale for Bella to be part of them. He didn't think that she would have fitted. But of course, they would have changed her.

The fashion side of him, that had been dormant for a few weeks, was doing some fast calculations. The value of the clothes and accessories that they wore was measured in the high tens of thousands. He also couldn't imagine his imprint fitting into that mold.

The shield dropped just as Josh was thinking that she was already so beautiful, no matter what she wore. But more importantly, the woman who had lived on the run and deliberately dressed to stay out of sight for five years, now had no desire for possessions.

Edward gave him a very odd look.

Josh smiled at him and tried for her sake to keep his head blank.

The family looked wary and relieved that Edward hadn't done anything too stupid.

"Jacob," Carlisle greeted the pack alpha first. He studied Josh but didn't greet him.

"Doctor Cullen," Jake replied.

"Bella," the mother of the group said. "You look so much-"

"Older," Bella interrupted. "Hello, everyone. Thank you for coming."

The pixie, as Bella had called her, was clinging to the arm of her partner. She looked like she wanted to hug Bella. The others were checking Josh out. He got the impression that they all knew exactly who he was.

"You know why we are all here," Bella said.

"The Volturi are coming," Carlisle said.

"We intercepted the guards this morning," Jasper said.

"Yeah. We took out Santiago for you," Emmett said. "So we are equal now." He gave Jake a challenging look.

Jake's chin lifted. "Embry, show Edward the memory of the kill."

Edward clearly listened in to Embry's thoughts. "Yes, that's Demetri." He looked stunned. "That was almost… effortless."

Embry raised an eyebrow. "It was three against one. And we're good."

"You'll need to be," added Jasper.

"I can't see exactly _when_ they arrive," Alice said. "I am blind near you wolves. But I should be able to see when they decide to leave Italy."

"That'll be good enough," Jake told her. "We weren't expecting you right now and we need to make some plans." He threw his phone at Emmett. "Numbers please."

Emmett loaded them all in at vampiric speed.

Bella took a step closer to Josh and held out her hand. He took it and stood next to her. "This is Josh."

"The shield gets stronger when you touch," noted Edward.

In her nervousness she had flung it shut again once she held Josh's hand.

"Doesn't everything," said Josh.

Bella squeezed his hand. He got the message. Shut up, Josh, it said.

"Josh is a shaman _and_ a wolf," she said. The pride in her voice was obvious.

Embry hid his smile.

"And we are imprinted." She said it as if she had just announced their engagement.

Esme clapped her hands together. "Oh, how lovely! I am so happy for you."

Everyone offered their congratulations, except for Edward who pinched the bridge of his nose.

Jake was watching him very carefully.

"We have already started to clean up the old house," Carlisle suggested. "The distance may allow Alice's visions to return. If they do, we will notify you of any developments. This concerns us as well-"

"They are not just coming to punish _me_," Bella suggested.

"Indeed."

Rose hung back a little as the others left.

"Hey, Rosalie," Bella said. She had noticed her scrutiny.

Rose nodded as if she was coming to a decision. "You look … good." She nodded her head at Josh. "He suits you. The last time I saw you, you looked anxious and worried."

"I had nightmares about vampire babies."

She nodded. "This was the right decision."

"I think so. Thank you."

Rose followed after her family. They noticed that Emmett had waited for her.

"She didn't want you to turn?" Josh asked as he watched her go.

"No. She tried to talk me out of it."

"What's her gift?" asked Josh.

"Beauty," said Embry. "But she uses it well."

Bella threw her arms around Josh's neck.

He gave her a look. "Talk to me," he said. "How much trouble am I in?"

"You? Oh fuck, how much trouble am _I_ in? I didn't want to shove you in his face and instead, I kind of rejected you. But I made up for it by telling them all we are imprinted."

He kissed her quickly. "I'm fine. I'm a big boy."

"Right." She poked him in the chest. "Who rushed out here to see him first?"

"I am also human. I wanted to see what he was like."

"I am not going to ask what you thought, you would probably tell me."

He chuckled. "You don't owe him anything."

"I dumped him at the altar. That's not nice."

"It burns him up that we share dreams," Josh said.

"Oh… of course. It would, too." She grinned at him. "What am I thinking now?"

He laughed. "Do we have time?"

"There's always time."

Jake cleared his throat.

"Sorry guys. I forgot you were still here," Bella said.

"He must get that you have moved on, Bells," said Embry. "You two reek of sex and each other."

"Fuck. Thanks, Embry."

"What? You do!"


	44. Chapter 44

**Chapter 44 - I'll be home for Christmas**

_Disclaimer: the characters and all recognisable situations belong to Stephenie Meyer - this is a work of fan fiction, except for the legends and histories of the Quileute that, of course, belong to them. I pay my respects to their gods._

_Thanks to BanSidhe [ruadh sidhe] and Feebes86 for betaing and pre-reading._

* * *

><p>"Where's Billy?" Josh asked.<p>

Jake rolled his eyes. "He got all formal. He wants to meet our new allies with every single wolf standing behind him."

"I get that," Josh said. "And he'll be standing, too."

"Sure, sure. Trust Dickwad to ruin it by jumping the gun."

"And just what were you two snorting about?" Bella asked.

"Shirtless," Jake said.

She laughed. "You are, too. I don't even see it anymore."

Josh pouted dramatically.

"I see you, honey," she apologized.

Embry patted Jake on the shoulder. "Let's go. Are you two walking?"

Josh looked the question at Bella.

"I…" She took a breath and reached for Josh's hand. "Yes. We'll walk back."

They watched the truck drive away.

Josh just started walking with her and waited; she'd talk when she was ready.

"That was so… horribly awkward," she said after a few minutes silence.

He nodded. "It is almost impossible not to think things at a mind reader."

"I did my best."

"I know. You really did. You did well. That wasn't easy for you."

"It's hard to explain—"

"No, I get it. You broke it off with all of them; not just Edward."

"Yes. And you two behaving like children." She hugged him. Her hands pressing against his back, holding him as tightly as she was physically able to. Pressing her face in against his bare chest. He felt her take a shuddery breath. He held her, breathing her in. She was his, he knew that. And she was here, standing in the forest, holding him as if he was the one she was frightened of losing. He turned his head and rested his cheek on the top of her head. A gentle rocking motion comforted her until they were almost breathing in sync.

"The wolf?" she mumbled against his skin.

"Doesn't like him."

"Is he okay?"

"He's fine, now. Do you want a ride back?"

Her face brightened. "I've never done that." Her eyes glinted. "You'll have to take your clothes off."

He raised one eyebrow. "I know. You want to hold them?"

"I'll hold anything you want."

He chuckled. "Promises, promises." He held her face in his hands, stroking his thumbs over her cheeks. "You are so strong. Look at you."

"I don't feel strong."

"You're anxious and worried and your stomach is tied in a knot and none of that makes you weak."

"Just human."

"Exactly. And I love you."

She kissed him almost desperately.

"We need to get you out of the cold," he said. The fact that he wanted to rush her home and roll her into bed was a second motive; one he'd suggest to her later and closer to the bed.

He stripped, tied his shorts to his leg and phased.

Bella watched him change. Sometimes she thought that she had got so used to seeing people turn into wolves, and back again, that she had forgotten how extraordinary it was. It was literally magic; that a person's bones could reshape into a creature so much larger, stronger and just so vastly different. Four legs rather than two, with teeth and a snout and a massive body covered in fur. In Josh's case, dark fur as black as that of his son's wolf.

She had never thought to ask if it was painful or what it felt like to shrink down again. To be just… human; not that the shape-shifters were ever just human.

The wolf was obviously pleased to see her. It licked up her face and snuffled around her to make sure the nasty vampires hadn't touched her. She held her arms out and let it check her over. There was no way she could get him to move if he didn't want to, anyway.

"You happy, now?" she asked him.

She scratched him behind the ears. "They didn't even touch me… see? I'm fine. Everyone was on their best behavior."

When he lowered his enormous body to the ground she knew it was so that she could climb on to ride him.

"I need a saddle if we are ever doing this again," she told him before throwing one leg over his back and clinging tightly to the pelt around his neck.

The wolf rose to its feet and she seemed a lot further off the ground than she had expected to be. It took a few tentative steps as if it was making sure she didn't fall off, before the pace increased and they were running through the forest. It was incredible. The speed, the agility, the way it leapt massive distances over objects in its path. She knew it was traveling at a fraction of the top speed and it took her breath away.

She also suspected that they were going on a bit of a detour, but she didn't mind. She was enjoying the ride.

It was such an exhilarating experience, the sensual touch of the fur against her face and hands, the thud as the massive paws struck the ground and the way it reverberated up to her on his back, the speed and the rush of air on her face, like the fastest, quietest motor bike ride she had ever had.

She hugged him. Her body pressed down against the back of the wolf that was bound to her by bonds of gold that she had seen in their shared dream. The dream in which they had had the best sex of their lives.

And he loved her.

It was amazing that he loved plain, ordinary little her. It made her feel so special.

Josh adored her in a different way to the love that Edward held for her. Seeing the teenage vampire showed her that. He hadn't changed at all. He was _still_ in love with her, she had just seen that. The parts of her that he loved the most five years ago, hadn't changed; the way her blood sang to him and the way that she was the only person in his hundred years whose mind he could not read. Ultimately, she felt that was what had caught his attention about her.

Was that why Edward had been so against her becoming a vampire? That those things might have disappeared? If she was a vampire, she wouldn't have blood, as far as she understood the process.

It took three days for an initial bite to complete the reaction and then a newborn vampire was stronger than other vampires for about six months, until the human blood had faded from their body. What if after that six months, she didn't smell nearly as attractive to Edward? Would he have loved her then?

She tried to think about how they were different. Edward loved her for what she was and Josh loved her for who she was.

If the gifts she shared with Josh were only temporary and disappeared after the battle, she knew that he would still love her. It didn't matter to him if he they shared dreams or if she could send him mind messages. She rubbed her face against his fur as she thought of him.

Edward had just looked so boyishly young; like a high school boy, not a man. Even Carlisle looked ridiculously immature.

Fuck! Carlisle was turned at twenty three. He was eternally the age she was now. Josh was almost double Carlisle's age and had been married to somebody else.

Marriage. She had bartered vampirism for marriage with Edward because it had been so important to her back then. Wow. How things had changed. She and Josh hadn't even discussed it. They had both just assumed they were in it for life. Not that they had had the time to discuss it in this crazy week.

She assumed Edward was still a virgin, if he was still holding a torch for her, that would probably be a safe guess. The poor thing. To have never been as close to a person as you could get. That intimacy, that sharing. That look that Josh got on his face when he saw her naked.

Naked.

She wanted to be naked with him, and she wanted to do that right now.

_Bed_, she suggested to him.

The wolf's head turned and he changed direction.

With just about the whole rez knowing about the pack, there was no need to hide. Josh's wolf took her right to the door of the cabin. She clambered off the wolf's back, her legs shaking a little from holding on so tightly and opened the door.

She heard Josh phase back. When he followed her inside, he shut the door behind him and stripped the cord from his leg. She had already pulled her jacket off and was trying to get out of the rest of her clothes, but her fingers were suddenly too clumsy to do the task.

"Shh," he consoled her. "Let me." He held her hands and moved them to touch his shoulders.

She felt chilled; her face numb from the ride and he felt so warm to the touch.

"I didn't tell you I love you," she said.

"I know you love me."

Still undressing her, he murmured words between kisses. "You were enjoying the ride… and then you went so stiff… so tense… holding so much strain… too tight… too hard. I could tell something was wrong."

"I was thinking."

"Thinking of the past?"

"Yes." She reached for him, kissing him with a desperate need; almost frenzied. And he was right there with her. There wasn't time for foreplay or preparation; they just had to reconnect. Stripped of her clothes, she embraced him and something inside her was instantly less stressed. It felt right.

"Oh, Josh."

"It's okay, now."

He lifted her and placed her on the bed on her back, hoisted her legs in the air and shunted her body towards him so that her ass was right on the edge of the mattress. And then there was a moment, while she was clutching the bed-covers in her hands, her whole body was tense, her neck extended and her head flung back. She felt just as tense as earlier, but for a whole lot of different reasons.

He held her at the knee with one hand and used the other hand to guide his cock into her. She watched him look down at her. His eyes serious. At the first push, her breath hitched, her breasts jumped, she gasped a little and then closed her mouth. She made a noise; an almost satisfied humming noise that turned into a moan as he pushed in to the hilt.

"That is so good," she moaned.

She closed her eyes and she just felt him. So warm; so strong, filling her in that way that she craved. "You're mine," she told him.

"Yes," he agreed.

"Show me."

And after that, it was just heat and movement. A frenzied coupling that left them both panting and spent.

* * *

><p>He lifted her gently and covered her with the blankets before the sweat on her body gave her a chill.<p>

She mumbled something and reached for him.

"I'm not going anywhere." He lay on his side and snuggled her up against him. His fingers keeping a constant movement over her flesh.

After a few minutes, he asked, "You okay? I didn't hurt you?"

"I'm fine… no, better than fine. I just… needed you."

"Me?' he checked.

"Just you."

"Ah… that's where you are wrong."

"Really?" she mumbled, rubbing her face on his chest.

"There is no just me. I don't come with a perfect gilded family, but I do come with a huge and chaotic tribe; a pack of wolves—"

"Two packs," she interrupted.

"Right. And siblings, and two grown sons and grandchildren."

She chuckled. "You're the hamburger with the lot."

"Yep."

Silence for a few minutes.

"Well," she said with a sigh. "He didn't try to claw your face off."

"Nope, or take you away."

"He didn't beg me to take him back."

"I think he wanted to."

She made a face. "All in all, it wasn't as bad as it could have been."

"I suppose."

"What did you talk about… before I got there?" She leaned her head back so that she could see his face.

"You, of course."

"Uh, huh."

"You'll have to see him again."

"I know."

"So are we going to do this after every time?" he asked eagerly.

She laughed.


	45. Chapter 45

**Chapter 45 - I'll be home for Christmas**

_Disclaimer: the characters and all recognisable situations belong to Stephenie Meyer - this is a work of fan fiction, except for the legends and histories of the Quileute that, of course, belong to them. I pay my respects to their gods._

_Thanks to BanSidhe [ruadh sidhe] and Feebes86 for betaing and pre-reading._

* * *

><p>Spooning just didn't describe it adequately enough. Josh's bicep was her pillow and his other arm passed over her stomach. The hand around her waist held her against him firmly. Her butt pushed in against his groin. He was asleep. After they had talked his voice had got slowly quieter until he had fallen asleep. She supposed that he had had a very early start to the day, up before dawn for the stick ceremony. She was more than content to take the opportunity to breathe and just lie quietly with him and he was so relaxed with her that her being awake didn't disturb him.<p>

But it wasn't to last. Footsteps on the porch woke him before the knock at the door sounded. She felt his body go from relaxed to tense in seconds.

"Thomas?" he asked.

"I drew the short straw," Josh's elder brother answered.

"Hang on." Josh rolled out of bed and slipped his shorts on.

Bella sat up and peered at the jumbled mass of her clothes on the floor. "I should hide in the bathroom."

"What's the point? He knows you are here."

"I'm _naked_, Josh."

"I can stay out here," Thomas contributed through the door. As a wolf, he wouldn't feel the cold.

Bella rolled her eyes. "I am going to shower anyway."

Josh touched her on the thigh. She looked down and could see some light bruising; it looked like finger marks. Four of them in a row from Josh's hand where he had gripped her too hard during their frantic sex. It would probably get worse, after a few days. They had hit it pretty hard. "Nobody will see it," she said.

"Sorry."

"I'm not." She smiled at him reassuringly and just to really convince him that she was fine, she ran her fingers down the fine hairs below his navel that led down to his groin.

He sucked in a breath and reached for her, but she skipped away from him.

"Pack," she reminded him, with a head jig at the door.

He groaned before shaking his head as if he was waking up or coming out of water.

She poked her tongue out at him before she scurried into the bathroom and relative privacy.

"What's up, Thomas?" he asked as he opened the door.

"Billy wants everyone at this Cullen meeting thing."

"Right."

"There's some debate about who stands where."

"Seriously?"

"Alphas, tribal council, pack and — "

"Me."

"Yeah."

"Izzy? Can you get to the hall by yourself?"

"Sure, sure," she shouted through the bathroom door.

Thomas gave him a look.

"She used to spend a bit of time with Jake," he explained.

* * *

><p>Lifting a treaty made way back in 1936 between vampires and werewolves (or more technically shape-shifters) <em>was<em> a big thing, but did they really need to argue about it?

"The treaty was made by the pack," Billy was saying as Josh entered the hall. "So the pack should lift it."

Josh watched to see what the issue was. It seemed to be about status; the council members that were not wolves just wanted to be there and be part of it; once that was agreed to, they could move on. But then the argument changed to whether imprints could attend or not. Some of the pack wanted them there to witness the historic occasion and others still didn't trust the vampires and wanted their imprints as far away as possible.

Josh and Billy exchanged an exasperated look.

* * *

><p>The wolves met the Cullens at the border line. It was a very different meeting from the one held earlier in the day. The sun was about to set, not that the impending darkness would worry either of them with their enhanced vision.<p>

The pale, golden eyed family stopped right on their side of the treaty line. Carlisle stood alone at the front, Edward and Jasper behind him and the others made up the base of the triangle.

After years of marking that treaty line with respect, both sides knew exactly where it ran. Josh had explained to Bella that they all seemed to know where it lay on their land.

She remembered Emmett and Paul nearly coming to blows over it when Emmett tried to chase Victoria across the river.

Billy stood at the front of his team as the tribal chief. He wasn't wearing anything that marked him as the chief and he didn't need to; it was just obvious. His pack were arrayed on one side to his right; sixteen wolves; seven male and nine females. Josh stood with them.

Jake was almost level with his father but just a touch behind him. His pack of eleven were on his left. Only two were female. The two packs formed a corridor. The alphas waited at the end of it. Three council members, one of which was Old Quil, stood behind them. Bella hadn't known where to go. She was the only other human in attendance after it was decided to leave the imprints safe in the tribal hall.

In the end Jake had just held her hand and pulled her up to stand next to him. He nodded at Josh as if to say that he would look after her.

The vampires would have to run the gauntlet between the packs.

All the wolves were human at the moment, but there was just something about seeing them in such a large group. They didn't look human. They all had that pack way of moving in sync, and they were all standing in the same pose; they looked like a parade ground of particularly well built, half dressed fighters.

This was a huge test for all the new wolves; their first exposure to vampires. If one of them lost it and phased, it would be a real embarrassment to them all. Lucas looked the most nervous to Bella. She saw him shift his head a little and when she shifted her gaze to Jake's pack, she saw Brady lift his chin in a tiny movement that Lucas seemed to interpret as a vote of confidence. His shoulders lifted as he took a deep breath.

She also noticed that Leah was watching Billy.

Jake rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand as if he had sensed her nerves.

"Welcome," Billy said. "The sovereign nation of the Quileute tribe welcome you to their lands." He sounded so formal; his voice deep and low.

Carlisle answered, "The Olympic coven thanks you for that welcome. In the spirit of the treaty made with the Quileute people we come now, to offer our assistance in your time of need. We will assist in any way we can."

Billy spoke, "We thank you for your assistance and to show our loyalty and trust we give you free access to the lands covered by the treaty." He held his palm out flat as if he was showing them where the treaty line lay. "Enter and be welcomed."

Carlisle made a formal little bow and then he stepped across that line. His family followed him; no emotion showing on their faces.

Edward must be bombarded with thoughts on all sides, but his face remained impassive. He stared at Billy as if he was trying hard not to look at Bella.

Should she be shielding? But she had no idea who to shield, and if the Cullens were going to be around, she couldn't do it all the time. It was just too exhausting.

Jake squeezed her hand and she squeezed it back.

_I'm okay_, she sent to Josh, just in case he was worrying about her.

Carlisle stopped in front of Billy and they shook hands.

"Please join us in the tribal hall," Billy offered.

"We'd love to," Carlisle said.

"We would not ask you to attend where there is an open fire," Billy said.

"We appreciate the courtesy," said Carlisle.

"A formidable fighting force," Jasper commented, his eyes gleaming with the possibilities, as he scanned the assembled packs.

"Can I hug Bella, now?" Emmett asked plaintively.

"Not if I get to her first," Alice replied.

She hugged them both in turn. They felt incredibly stiff; hard and cold.

The new allies headed back to the tribal hall to get to know each other a little better.

* * *

><p>The voice reverberated around the council chamber. "Explain yourself!" Aro demanded.<p>

The junior guard quivered as he met the three members of the Volturi council and relayed the message.

"He said his name was Major Jasper Whitlock and that you might have heard of him from the second New Mexico vampire war of 1840. He was part of Maria's coven."

"I have heard of him, he was Maria's commander, but I did not know that he had embraced Carlisle's restrictive diet."

"He is bonded mate to Alice Cullen," the junior added.

Marcus raised a bored hand. "You must have known that, Aro."

"Pardon, dear Marcus?"

"Alice… you touched her when they were here. You must have seen her memories of her mate."

"Oh, ha, ha, ha," Aro tittered without answering him. "But we digress. So where is the lovely Bella?"

Marcus almost frowned. Aro seemed to be changing the subject and he wondered why.

"Ah… she's with-"

"Santiago?" Aro interrupted. "They were delayed?"

"No, my lord. Santiago is… g-gone."

Aro froze; that eerie stillness that all vampires could do. "Show me," he said in a low, terrifying voice.

The guard approached with trepidation and knelt before him. Aro placed a couple of fingers against his cheek.

Marcus and Caius looked on. Aro narrated the vision for them.

"The Cullens are all there, but not the lovely Bella. They say she is still human and will remain so… oh, dear… Edward said no and they dispatched Santiago with frightening efficiency. They say… what? They dare!"

He was utterly furious. In his rage, his fingers turned into talons and he tore the junior guard's head from his shoulders with a harsh metallic tearing sound and flung it away from him. It bounced into the corner of the chamber. He seemed to get himself under control with a major effort of will. The other vampires in attendance tried to look smaller; attracting Aro's attention right now could be very damaging to your life expectancy. He adjusted his hair, pushing a loose strand back into place with a skeletal finger.

"Was that strictly necessary?" Caius snarked.

The leader made a dismissive gesture. "It is no great loss. He was a particularly useless guard. Too frightened to fight them."

"Aro? What did they say?" Marcus asked.

"They say that if we want Bella Swan, we can come to Washington state and get her."

Small noises of shock and awe came from the attending vampires.

"They challenge us?" Caius sneered.

"Oh, yes. Ha, ha, ha." He was laughing, but Aro didn't look happy about it and the laughter had an edge of hysteria.

"Did they say where, my lord?" Jane asked.

"Oh, Jane… dear, dear, Jane. They say you know the place, the field where Bree died."

She nodded, but looked puzzled.

"Who is this Bree?" Aro asked.

"I do not know, unless they mean that newborn that I executed."

"That pitiful thing that the Cullens offered a new life." Aro sounded derisive.

"My lord, how many are in their coven?" Alec asked. "Is it still only seven?"

Aro nodded. "It appears so. Their little family hasn't grown at all."

Jane and Alec exchanged a look. They looked overjoyed to have a reason to battle with the Cullens.

"My lord, did they mention Demetri?" Felix asked.

"Oh, my dear Felix, they did. They tell us bad news. I am afraid Demetri is gone, too."

Felix let out a roar of rage and grief, before punching his solid fist into the wall. The old stones shattered under such an onslaught. "Do we accept their pathetic challenge?" he asked Aro.

"Oh, yes. I think we should crush them like fleas," Aro replied. "Oppose the Volturi and you cease to exist."

Caius made a face that might have been meant to be a smile but only vaguely resembled one, as if he had forgotten how to smile. Marcus looked concerned. He watched Aro very carefully.

"Which of us will fight these vegetarians," Alec asked, as if he was hoping the group included him.

"I want to see them reduced to dust," Aro replied."So… I think we will all go."

That statement earned some nervous chatter; quite a few of the guard were comfortable in Italy - perhaps too comfortable. But what Aro wanted, Aro got.


	46. Chapter 46

**Chapter 46 - I'll be home for Christmas**

_Disclaimer: the characters and all recognisable situations belong to Stephenie Meyer - this is a work of fan fiction, except for the legends and histories of the Quileute that, of course, belong to them. I pay my respects to their gods._

_Thanks to BanSidhe [ruadh sidhe] and Feebes86 for betaing and pre-reading._

* * *

><p>[AN: people asked about Alex and Kaylee.]<p>

Alex sat in the Clearwater kitchen feeling completely out of her depth. She had met a guy at the store and gone home with him. That was a new one, even for her and she had done some dumb things in her life, but this? It had to take the cake. And for some reason she couldn't even explain to herself, she didn't want to leave.

Seth was the sweetest, nicest guy she had ever met and he had an amazing body; he looked like an underwear model. She did not understand why he was so attracted to her. Not that he had done anything; no attempt to kiss her; no pressure on her to do anything with him, but she noticed that he constantly watched her with a look of utter adoration on his face. She'd seen the same look on the faces of other people. Sue, his mom, looked at her guy Charlie like that, too. From the moment he had met her eyes in the parking lot, he had looked at her like that. Something had happened; she had felt it. She could not explain it, but she knew it was real.

Kaylee adored Seth and she had done so right from the start.

The family had all gone off to some meeting this afternoon and Alex was watching Nate and Kaylee play and taking the time to have a long hard think, as her grandmother would have said.

When they had walked into the house that first night, his family had terrified her. Some of Alex's dumb things had put her in violent relationships. A life of flinching was not an easy thing to lose and Seth and his family were all so big and so physically intimidating. Even Leah, his sister looked like a tri-athlete. She had muscles on her muscles. And Alex had never been very strong or very aggressive. And it wasn't just his immediate family, he seemed to have a much larger group of people who cared for him and because she was with Seth (even if she didn't know how) they cared for her, too. Maybe it was the small town thing? But she didn't really think that was the answer.

New Year's Eve had been very different. She had gone to the bonfire and listened to all the stories and then the guy who seemed to be their leader had said something about fights and enemies. It was very late by then and she was tired enough to convince herself that she must have misheard. But she was now certain that he had said it.

And it was stressing her out.

She felt safe here; safer than she had felt for weeks. She and Kaylee had run away from her last boyfriend. It was the scariest thing she had ever done, but she just knew they had to go before they passed a point and were unable to leave. And now Kaylee was happy and she was… yeah, she was happy, too. Just the thought of running again made her mouth go dry and her heart pound in an erratic way.

The door opened so unexpectedly that it made her jump nervously.

Part of her was not surprised that it was Seth.

"What's wrong?" he asked her, before he even saw her face to work out that she was upset.

"How did you know?"

He waved a hand as if that wasn't important. "Tell me what's wrong?"

She had an urge to touch him. That was something else that had come with meeting him at the store. She couldn't explain that, either. "What is going on, Seth?"

He got a pained look on his face as if he had gas, but didn't answer her.

She stood, folded her arms and walked into the bedroom. She sat on Seth's bed with her knees bent and her feet on the edge of the mattress. Her arms wrapped around her raised legs. She had folded herself into a small ball. It was nuts that she felt safe in this room when it wasn't even her room. It was clearly the space of a boy just out of his teens; still a few band posters on the walls, some photos from school and a few games magazines and comics scattered around.

Seth waited for a minute before he came in and sat cross legged on the floor in front of her. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

She looked at his distraught face. "Tell me."

"Oh, man… I don't even know how to explain it and I know you are going to ask and I probably should have already told you but I was too chicken."

That was not an answer. "What?"

He opened his mouth, said nothing and closed it again. He looked more agitated than she had ever seen him look. And he was speechless… Seth was speechless.

"Seth?"

"I just waited so long for you and I don't want to freak you out 'coz you seem scared of everything and if you ever freaked out and left me… I'd just die."

"What? Seth, you've known me for two days! And… what do you mean waited for me for so long… I don't understand."

"Oh," he said. "I'm messing this up."

"Messing _what_ up? You haven't said anything."

"Oh… okay." He took a deep breath. "Man… everyone else has done this without major disasters, well except for Sam but that wasn't his fault—"

She recoiled. Scuttled up the bed away from him. Emily's face had shocked her the first time she saw it. Livid scars running in parallel lines down her cheek and dragging her eye down with them. Half her face beautiful and the other half a ruin. "Sam did that?!"

"Alex?" Seth wailed and reached out towards her.

"Mommy?" Kaylee called out; her voice nervous.

"I-I'm okay, honey." She knew Kaylee would want to see her, though. She scrambled off the bed on the side away from Seth and hurried out the door. Seth didn't follow her.

The children wanted to watch a movie and she put Tangled on for them.

It took her a few minutes to work up the courage to walk back into the bedroom. Seth was sitting where she had left him, his face pressed into the bed at the spot where she had been sitting. He didn't lift his face and she got the odd idea that he was sniffing the bed-covers - but that was just stupid. Again, she felt that crazy need to touch him. She knew he was not okay. Reaching out with a shaky hand, she patted him on the back.

He let out a really loud sigh and mumbled something.

"What?"

"Shape-shifters. We are shape-shifters."

She froze.

"The… the stories…" he added. "You heard the stories… they're real. We all turn into wolves."

"W-wolves?"

He finally lifted his head and he looked so distressed that she just needed to comfort him, even though she was the one who was frightened. She pressed her palm against his cheek. He sighed and he leaned into her touch. She looked at her hand as if she expected to see something … anything… passing between them because she could feel it.

"Wolves?" she asked again, as she sat down on the bed. Her legs felt weak.

"That's why we are all so big. See?" He reached one long arm over and put his hand flat, under the bottom of the side table and just lifted it up about eight inches off the ground. It looked effortless; no strain, no shake and the angle was all wrong - he had no leverage sitting on the floor the way he was.

The lamp wobbled and she grabbed for it before it fell over. A few comics cascaded off and onto the floor. She hugged the lamp to her chest and stared at him. "Could you lift the bed?"

"Yeah… but I didn't want you to fall off and hurt yourself."

"Huh." Her ex had spent all of his energy on making himself stronger. He popped pills,and spent money they didn't have on gym memberships, protein powders and weights. And he had used that strength to break things; to hurt other people as if the bulging muscles were not a visible enough show of his power. But that wasn't being strong. Sometimes being strong was just about _not_ breaking.

"Alex?"

She blinked. Seth was _still_ holding the side table up.

She snorted.

"What?" he asked.

"Put it down, Seth. I believe you."

"Neat!"

She looked at him with new, clearer eyes. There was something of the eager puppy about him. "Can I see it?"

"The wolf?"

"Sure, but we have to go outside. "It's cold," he added. "Will you be warm enough?"

He took her hand , grabbed a blanket from the hall cupboard and they snuck out the back door. Alex sat on the back step with the blanket around her shoulders. She left the door ajar so that she could hear Kaylee. She stared at Seth's bare feet. He definitely didn't feel the cold. To prove it further, he stripped off his shirt and then stopped, with his hands resting at the waistband of his cutoffs.

"Close your eyes."

"Why? Aren't I allowed to see you change?"

"Umm… err… jeez… I have to get naked."

"Oh… Are you blushing? I can't see you, anyway," she lied. The light from the house would give her a very clear view of naked Seth.

"You're lying."

"Whoa… how can you tell? Oh, wait… can you ask Kaylee where she put my bracelet?"

"Cover your eyes… please?"

"Fine." She put her hands flat over her eyes. "There."

An odd tearing noise answered her.

"Seth?"

There was definitely something in front of her; something enormous. She could just feel that it took up more space than Seth had. She was terrified to take her hands away and peek. And then she heard an odd whine and a wet nose shoved under her forearms and into her face.

She let out a startled squeak.

The wolf tilted it's head; puzzled by her reaction.

"You startled me."

The head dropped down and rested on her lap. She barely felt it, and it must have weighed a ton. It showed the same caged strength that Seth had demonstrated earlier; holding itself so that she wouldn't get squashed. She patted the sandy colored fur nervously. The eyes still looked like Seth's eyes so she knew it was him and it wasn't as if he had just disappeared and this huge animal had wandered out of the forest. It had to be Seth. The wolf closed its eyes and shuffled its whole body along the ground a little; it was almost a wriggle and she got the impression that it was happy. She patted it again and got that same sense of calm from touching the animal, that she got from touching the man.

They were both so busy concentrating on each other that they didn't hear Kaylee approach and by the time they did, the wolf couldn't move without her seeing it..

"Nate's asleep— Wolfie!" she cried. "Mommy, look! It's Wolfie." Kaylee thought the giant wolf was her favorite soft toy come to life.

Caught out there was only one thing to do. "Yes," Alex lied. "It does look just like him."

"He likes you, Mommy."

The wolf wagged its tail.

"Sure does." She grinned at it.

Kaylee played with it for a few minutes before Alex suggested, "Wolfie needs to go away now."

"Awww."

"You can play with him another day."

They waved goodbye to the wolf and went back inside the house. She saw Seth sneak in the door a few minutes later.

It was only then that she thought to ask him, "What did you come over for? Earlier."

"Oh, yeah… I want you to come over to the tribal hall and meet some friends of mine."

"Okay."

"They're vampires."

"What? Are you nuts?"

"Oh, come on… Esme has dimples… she's not scary at all."

"Dimples? How can vampires have dimples? And I cannot believe I just said that."

"Come and see. We'll take the kids with us."

"No, we will _not_!"

"These are the good guys."

"What? That means that there are bad guys."

"Oh, man… I am doing this all wrong again."

"_**Seth!**_?"


	47. Chapter 47

**Chapter 47 - I'll be home for Christmas**

_Disclaimer: the characters and all recognisable situations belong to Stephenie Meyer - this is a work of fan fiction, except for the legends and histories of the Quileute that, of course, belong to them. I pay my respects to their gods._

_Thanks to BanSidhe [ruadh sidhe] and Feebes86 for betaing and pre-reading._

* * *

><p>Alex would not believe that Sam was okay with Nate being in a room with vampires until Seth rang him and she heard him say, yes. She wasn't entirely sure that <em>she<em> was okay with it, either. "Vampires?" she mouthed at Seth silently for the tenth time as they were walking.

He looked hangdog and muttered, "I should have told you before."

Seth carried both kids and Alex scurried along next to him as they headed for the tribal hall.

"Bad guys?" she asked.

"I can't tell you, now." He hoisted the kids to indicate they were listening. They did look very interested in whatever Alex and Seth were discussing.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "So it's real?" If kids could hear and be scared, then Alex assumed that the bad guys or bad vampires or whatever they were, were real as well. "I _cannot_ believe this," she muttered.

"I know. It's a lot to take in."

Seth sounded so incredibly reasonable that she jabbed a finger at him and then had nothing kid appropriate to say and just had to grit her jaw. "Oooh," she snarled through her gritted teeth.

"They are a family," he argued. "Esme bakes and Carlisle is a doctor and they are the nicest people. Really, Alex."

"I … I just don't know what to say."

"And Rose is beautiful and fixes cars and Emmett is a giant… okay that might be scary, but he's so squishy and soft in the middle and— "

"They don't have families," she hissed at him.

"How do you know that?"

"I've watched movies," she argued.

"This isn't movies, this is real life."

The kids were glancing between them as if they were watching a tennis match.

"But they're not… they can't be… _real_."

"They are," Seth argued. "And Alice is tiny and looks like a little fashion fairy and Jasper is… yeah, okay, Jasper is scary."

"Oh, my God, Seth."

"But Edward plays the piano."

"The piano!" she screeched.

But they were at the tribal hall by then, and before Seth put the kids down, she flung the door open and headed inside.

* * *

><p>Bella felt like a human ambassador, desperately trying to get the two groups to mingle and not entirely sure that they should be mingling at all, given that they were vampire and werewolf, but that seemed to be her lot in life; to be the link between the two groups. She gave up and went looking for her father.<p>

Charlie was leaning against the back wall with his arms folded and he seemed to be putting an immense amount of effort into glaring at Edward. Leah stood next to him looking amused.

Sue was chatting to Esme and Carlisle. Bella assumed that Sue would be asking about the money side of things. She had to change her mind when Esme followed Sue towards the communal kitchen. Maybe she was going to help out with the catering? Esme did love to cook.

Jasper and Alice were talking to Jake and Josh. She saw Josh point around the hall as if he was explaining some changes they were going to make. Rose and Emmett were chatting to a few members of Jake's pack. Edward was standing alone until Carlisle approached him. Bella sincerely hoped that Edward was not dipping into people's heads because no good would come of that; not here. He glanced towards her as if her lack of thoughts had caught his attention.

It seemed to her as if the Forties pack were less able to cope with the close proximity of actual vampires; even non human drinking ones. They seemed to be standing further away from the Cullens than Jake's pack.

"He can read your mind, you know," she told Charlie as she took refuge in standing near him. She stood next to him and sipped from a cup.

"You said he couldn't read mine."

"Not well, but I think if you are thinking at him hard enough, he might get the message."

"Good. He should be pleased I haven't got a flamethrower, yet."

Leah snorted.

"Yet? What are you up to, Dad?"

A nervous looking Angela approached them, too. "They haven't changed at all, have they?"

"Nope," Charlie grunted.

"I mean… they looked like that… exactly like they did five years ago and I am not making any sense." She glanced at her ex schoolmates. "How did we _not_ notice?"

Bella patted Angela's arm. She knew what she was trying to say - the Cullens had never looked like everyone else to her; they were too clean, too neat and too immaculate. She had never been able to imagine any of them hunting animals and spilling blood on their designer clothes. "Speak for yourself, I noticed."

"And Jake says they smell like—"

"Angela, they can hear you."

She clapped a hand over her mouth before removing it and whispering, "Edward can hear us anyway." She tapped a finger on her temple.

Bella grimaced. "Yes, but these are our allies. We need them. Try to be nice."

Angela sighed. "I know. And I am doing my best for Jake."

Alex flung the door open and stomped inside with Seth following her, carrying Kaylee and Nate who shouted, "Gran'pa," as soon as he came in the door. Put on his feet, he ran to Josh.

"Hey, Nate." Josh picked him up and introduced him to Alice and Jasper. Jake ruffled his hair.

"See, dimples," Seth said to Alex as Esme rushed over to him. Alex hid behind him.

"Look at you," Esme gushed. "You've grown inches, I swear. Who's this?" she asked seeing Kaylee in his arms. She leaned around to look at Alex behind him.

"This is Kaylee and her mom." He looked around behind him and dragged Alex forward by an arm around her shoulder. "Alex, this is Esme," he announced.

"Oh, is she your imprint?" Esme looked overjoyed at the thought.

"His what?" squeaked Alex.

"Oh, little brother," Leah said. "Tell me you did not screw that up."

Seth looked lost. "Ah…"

"You did." Leah face palmed.

"Angela, we need to rescue Alex," Bella said.

"Don't you mean Seth?" said Angela.

"He dug that hole for himself," Leah said.

They swooped in, looped an arm through each of Alex's and hauled her off to the kitchen. She protested but went with them. She seemed glad to get away from Esme. Esme thankfully chatted to Seth and he couldn't follow them.

Bella and Angela sat Alex down and explained imprinting to her and told her that they were both imprints as well.

"Why didn't he just tell me?" she said. "He's my soul mate?"

"He's… Seth," Bella tried to explain.

"Just know that he utterly adores you," Angela added. "You are the center of his world. We can all see that."

"When did this happen for you guys?"

"Days ago," said Angela with a casual wave. "And we've all coped."

"Days? But this is all so weird. Are there others?"

"Imprints? Sure. More than half of the wolves have one," Bella said. "Like Jared and Kim."

"And Sue and Charlie," Angela added. "You've seen the way Sue looks at him?"

"I had noticed that," Alex admitted.

"Just ask yourself how you feel around Seth," Angela suggested.

"I feel… safe. How do you feel with Jake?"

Angela smiled. "I feel… adored." She made a whole body movement that somehow indicated happiness; a shiver.

"The Cullens are not that scary. Come on," Bella encouraged Alex to go back out to the function. They stopped in the doorway and looked out at the pack members scattered around the hall. "And just look at the guys. They're mouth watering."

"Mine is the biggest," Angela bragged.

"Pfft," said Bella, "Mine is the -" She stopped. "God, what is he? Freaky? No. _Special_," she substituted.

"Magic?" suggested Alex.

"Cool. Magic works."

"Are you ladies okay?" Paul asked as he wandered past. They were blocking the doorway to the food.

Angela nodded. "Yep."

"Do you have an imprint?" Alex asked him.

He looked confused. "Yeah… Rachel." He jigged his head at her. "Why?" he asked Alex with an intrigued look.

"Whoa," Bella said and put her hand flat on Paul's chest. "She's just asking."

"I wasn't going to-"

Seth appeared behind Paul and actually growled at him.

Paul's fists clenched and he looked like he was going to defend himself against Seth.

"Shit." Alex panicked. "Seth, I was just asking him about imprinting. It's okay… I was just asking him about his imprint. It didn't mean anything," she babbled.

"What the fuck?" Paul said, backing away fast.

"Seth!" Alex grabbed his face when it looked like he wasn't going to back down and she planted a kiss on him. Seth stopped growling, and then slowly his arms lifted to wrap around Alex. He tucked her in against him.

Paul sidled around behind them and ran for the kitchen, mumbling, "Jeez… I just wanted a sandwich."

_Josh, help? _She sent him a desperate message. She and Angela blocked the doorway just in case Seth decided to have another go at Paul.

He appeared at her side in seconds and had both Nate and Kaylee with him. He took a look at the two still kissing and smacked Seth up the back of the head.

Seth stopped kissing Alex and almost growled at Josh.

"Seth," Josh said quietly. "We can give you some time together; privately and somewhere that is not in the middle of the tribal hall. Do you want us to look after Kaylee for you for a little while?"

Seth blinked.

"Alex?" Josh checked with her. "Is that what you want?"

She was panting for breath. "Y-yes."

"Stay with Nate?" Kaylee asked.

"Sleepover?" Nate asked.

Josh looked at Bella.

"Fine," she huffed. "They can stay with us, if Sam is okay about it."

"With what?" Sam asked, appearing quickly at Josh's side.

Josh nodded at Seth and Alex.

"Oh," said Sam. "Sleepover?"

"Yep."

"Pleez, Daddy?" said Nate.

* * *

><p>Alice and Jasper were watching all of the shenanigans with great interest.<p>

"How you holding up there, darlin'?" Jasper asked.

"I was almost getting a headache from constantly trying to get a vision from the Volturi, but it's quiet and oddly restful when they are blocked."

"Now you know where to come for a vacation," said Jasper.

"I suppose you are loving all of this emotion?"

"Oh, yes. It's a feast."

They watched Bella kiss her imprint goodbye and he headed out the door with two excited small children in tow. She watched him go and then walked over to her old friends.

"Hey, guys."

Jake brought Angela over to join them.

"Crisis averted," he said.

"Imprinting makes intense emotions," Jasper said.

"Bella, what happened to your bracelet?" Alice asked, with a light touch on Bella's bare wrist.

"Yeah," Jake said. "I made you a hand carved red wolf and then Edward gave you a big chunk of glass—"

"Diamond to hang on it," Alice corrected.

"A what?" said Bella.

Angela looked shocked.

"You didn't know," Jasper said.

"Fuck, no." Bella looked slightly panicked. "I don't even know where it is. I think it could be in my apartment in Seattle, but I didn't get time to pack. Everything is still there."

"We think that is how Demetri found her," Angela said. "We were in a bit of a hurry that day."

"Rose and I could go pack it for you," Alice offered. "If you don't mind us going through your things. The distance would give me some visions and I am not used to feeling useless."

Jasper held her hand. He and Alice didn't indulge in open displays of affection. "If you don't mind your stuff smelling like vampires," he added.

"I think the rez will have to get used to it; you are here now. Why did Billy grant open access, Jake?"

"He said it was a trust thing and it would be almost impossible to plan a battle with half the strategists miles away on phones."

"Very true and we know it is a privilege. Plus we need to train together, more than ever." Jasper looked eager to start.

"Can we go do it now?" Alice hopped in place. Bella told her the address and she skipped off to talk to Rose, dragging Jasper behind her.

"A diamond," Jake said with a snort. "Typical."

"It upset the balance of the bracelet," Bella said. "It used to swing around to the heavier weight."

"He just wanted to put his mark on you."

"I know. That was another thing that went against him. That ownership thing."

"It's the perfect metaphor for him," said Angela. "Hard, shiny and expensive."

Jake grinned at her. "So does that make me soft, dull, and wooden?"

"None of the above," Angela told him.

When Bella went to fetch the keys to her apartment, Josh was making a blanket fort with the kids and appeared to be having as much fun as they were, crawling around on the floor.


	48. Chapter 48

**Chapter 48 - I'll be home for Christmas**

_Disclaimer: the characters and all recognisable situations belong to Stephenie Meyer - this is a work of fan fiction, except for the legends and histories of the Quileute that, of course, belong to them. I pay my respects to their gods._

_Thanks to BanSidhe [ruadh sidhe] and Feebes86 for betaing and pre-reading._

[AN: sorry about the hiccup in postings, my state is on fire - not an exaggeration. Officially now the worst fires in 45 years in NSW, Australia. We have relatives in the fire zone. The sky is orange and I can't breathe. And my home was invaded by fourteen seventeen year old boys on the weekend. They ate everything and six stayed about 36 hours. My muse was not so much squashed as obliterated. But at least I got to observe actual pack behaviour. *grins*]

* * *

><p>Billy and Charlie cornered Collin. One on each side of him. "We need to talk about fireworks, Collin," Charlie started.<p>

"Ah… uh… I swear I haven't lit any for years." He looked exceedingly nervous.

"And that is about to change." Billy thumped him on the back hard enough to make him wince.

"We need you to get updated-"

"New techniques-"

"Things might have changed-"

Collin looked doubtful. "Right."

"Vampires burn, Collin," Billy said.

"Oh… yeah. Good idea."

"What we need are some time delay firings or long distance rockets," Charlie suggested.

"And we need you to check out that stuff for us."

"Cool! Rockets are hard to aim properly— "

"Now you're thinking," Charlie said.

* * *

><p>Emmett and Quil faced each other. They were of a height and their faces were inches away from each other. Quil was almost as big as the vampire physically.<p>

"Ateara."

"Cullen."

"You stink."

"You, too. You smell like death. I smell like life, dude."

"If life is a wet dog."

"Quilly?" called Candie.

Emmett stepped back and raised an eyebrow. "Quilly?"

"She can call me anything she wants to," Quil said too low for her to hear, lifting his arm to wrap around her shoulder.

Emmett checked her out and nodded. "Fair enough."

"Candie, this is Emmett."

He kissed the back of her hand graciously. She looked as if she wanted to snatch it away, but glanced at Quil to see if he was worried.

"He's a good guy," Quil assured her.

"Oh. Okay," but she tucked that hand under her armpit when Emmett let it go.

A slim brown arm slid around Quil's waist and patted his stomach. "And this is Ellen," Quil added, without even looking to check.

Emmett couldn't see her from where he was standing; she was hidden behind Quil's wide body.

"Two?" Emmett checked.

"Plenty of me to go around," Quil quipped, with a wicked grin.

An audible sniff. "And she's a wolf."

"She's Josh's little sister."

"Oh, now… is she? So we can ask her all the gossip?"

"Doubt she'd tell you much," Quil said.

Ellen slid around Quil's body. "I saw _you_ at the treaty line," she said to Emmett.

Quil didn't react; no growling or territorial behavior. He didn't say anything and he didn't put a hand out to stop Ellen as she stalked in a circle around Emmett and gave him a three hundred and sixty degree eye fuck. Started at the toes and worked her way up to the face. "Hmmm," she said contemplatively.

"So how do you fit in, Ellen?"

"Quil is my imprint and we share Candie."

Emmett shrugged and then held his hand out to shake. "You win."

Quil went to shake it and Emmett pulled it away. "I was talking to Candie," he said. "Two wolves in her bed and she can still walk."

Quil guffawed. The compliment made Candie glow.

"Come meet my angel, Rose." Emmett put an arm around Candie and shepherded her away.

"He just took our girl," said Ellen.

"Yep."

* * *

><p>Leah found Paul in the kitchen chowing down on sandwiches and whatever else he could find to eat. "You okay?" she asked him because he didn't look it.<p>

"How did that start?" he asked, looking genuinely confused.

"Bella leapt to the wrong idea."

"I wasn't going to hit on Seth's fucking imprint."

"She probably still thinks you are like that because that was how you used to behave. You know… years ago."

"Labels. Yeah, well. She's changed, why can't I?" He glanced at her. "You've changed, too." He waved the sandwich at her.

A noncommittal noise was as much answer as Leah gave.

He tore into the sandwich and muttered, "Like I can hit on anything? I'm damn sick of everyone… including _my dad_ thinking I will take their women. It's a wonder Brady hasn't growled at me for talking to Lucas."

"He probably wouldn't know what to do if he saw you hitting on Lucas. Those two are a mess."

"I've got Rachel and she'd tear my fucking head off if I touched another woman. She'd have done it human; it's worse now she's a wolf. And you've fucked wolves, you know it doesn't compare to sex with anyone else, so why would I bother?"

She shrugged. She had to agree with him on that one, especially from her point of view. Human guys just couldn't keep up with her.

"So what are you going to do with your wolf?"

"Fucked if I know. Just looking at Embry makes me feel sad."

Paul gave her a penetrating glance. "I wasn't talking about Embry."

"Fuck."

"What else do you feel when you look at Embry?"

Embry who wasn't her imprint. Embry that she used to have sex with. Used to. She inhaled sharply. She wanted to tell Paul to fuck off, she wanted to tell him nothing, but he had stuck up for her recently and she did owe him that.

"Hmm?" he pressed, when she didn't answer.

"Guilt. Regret. And a whole lot of sadness."

"Hardly conducive to jumping his bones."

"Right."

"And Billy?"

"Conflict? No… confusion?"

"You sound confused."

"He's my father's friend. I've known him all my life. He says he wants whatever I'm happy to give him. That after almost dying, he'll take anything, and part of me thinks that is fair enough, you know? And another part thinks it's not fair. That he shouldn't make _me_ make the decision, but if I let him choose my life, then I'm nothing and I'd be annoyed because he didn't let me make the decision."

"You sounded a whole lot like Seth there for a second."

She rolled her eyes. "He's my imprint and I want him to be happy."

"Problem is, he wants you to be happy, too."

"And right now, I don't know how to do that."

"Could you share, like Quil?"

She shook her head. "Three different people."

"Maybe Embry would share, but I don't reckon Billy would."

"Too much of the alpha in him."

"Rachel says every imprint is about sex." He gave a bitter chuckle. "She didn't really say it, she shouted it at Jake."

"I heard you stuck up for me that day. Billy told me."

"Yeah. I think she's being a little bitchy about it all."

They both stared at the floor.

"Fuck what everyone else thinks, Leah. Do whatever makes you happy." Grabbing one last sandwich, Paul shoved it in his mouth and dusted off his hands. "And really, imprinting is the least of our fucking problems right now, but I'm off to find my loving imprint."

Hiding in the kitchen seemed like a good idea to Leah so she stayed put. Of course, it wasn't to be. Billy appeared in the doorway about two minutes after Paul left.

"He sent you, didn't he?"

Billy didn't say anything, just reached out and pulled her into him. She stiffened and put her hands up to push him away.

"It's a hug, Leah, just take it."

"Paul is an interfering little shit," she grumbled, but she deflated and let him hold her.

And it felt good, it really did. She leaned her forehead against his shoulder and just breathed.

* * *

><p>After she had delivered the apartment keys to Alice and Rose, Bella noticed that Jasper kept close to her. Initially, she thought it was something to do with emotions, but then Jake came to join them and she worked it out. Edward. Call her stupid, she really only worked it out when she saw Edward giving her longing looks, but he did keep his distance.<p>

She turned to face her guards. "You can't protect me from him forever."

"Carlisle told him, after the earlier incident at the treaty line, that he is not allowed to talk to you unless you approach him, first."

"And Josh has gone and he might think that means that he can get close to you or talk to you," Jake added.

"He _can_ talk to me."

Jasper shook his head. "Not today."

She sighed. It struck her as amusing that Jasper, who had attacked her in the past, was now her guard. "His self control is not good enough, yet," she guessed.

"Right."

"Fine." She tried looking at Jake in mute appeal. "How much longer for this … I don't even know what to call it?"

"Not long. Where's Dad?"

"In the kitchen with Leah," Jasper supplied.

"Is he now?" Jake glanced that way with an intrigued look on his face.

Werewolf hearing assured that whatever Billy and Leah were doing, they had stopped and were standing a good two feet apart, by the time the other three approached.

"Dad, can we wind this up, now?"

"Yes, we can work out more details later. Thanks again, for coming to help, Jasper."

"You know I love a fight. Training tomorrow?"

"Yes. Jake, make sure your pack are there. I'll get the Forties ready."

"I'll tell Josh," Bella volunteered.

"And I will walk you home," Jake said.

That seemed like a prudent thing to do and she was glad of his company.

When they got back to the cabin, Josh was awake. The kids were crashed out inside the blanket fort. "They refused to surrender," Josh said. "But at least it means we get the bed."

Bella lay on her side looking at the sleeping children and thinking how wonderfully innocent they looked. Josh spooned in behind her.

"Are they warm enough?" she asked.

He leaned on his elbow to look over her shoulder. "They should be, they've got a lot of blankets in there." He kissed her shoulder. "They got on pretty well." Another kiss. "How did you get on with your friends?"

"I wondered when you were going to ask that." She reached back and patted his thigh. "Edward kept his distance. And I should have some more clothes to wear from tomorrow. So it's all good."

"Good."

"But I have just realized something."

"What?"

"Kids cramp your sex life."

He chuckled. "They really do."

* * *

><p>The next morning Quil popped over to his mother's place to dump his laundry and see what she had on for breakfast. Niki Lahote was there and had clearly stayed overnight. The burly wolf was okay with Emmett flirting with his girls but this was his mother; it seemed different somehow, so before he could stop it, a growl had trickled out. "What's HE doing here? When did he move in?"<p>

"What's it to you?" Niki demanded.

"Watch it, old man."

"I can take you, pup," Niki growled back at him.

Quil had heard that he could hold his own with Paul and that was impressive for any wolf. "I live here," he protested.

"You live out the back of the store. You don't live in this house." Niki snorted. "You only come over here when you want your mother to do your laundry."

"What?"

"And cook for you."

That was true but it wasn't very politic of Niki to say it. Especially not to Quil's face.

"It's no bother," put in Joy, trying to defuse the situation.

Quil glared back at him. "I can do laundry," he said.

Niki leaned towards Quil. "You can… you just …don't."

"So, what? She's busy doing _your_ laundry?"

"Nope. I do my own laundry and so can you. If Paul can do it, you can."

"What?" Quil squeaked. He wasn't keen on this guy muscling in and ordering him about. And Paul did laundry? Since when? He shook his head. "Mine," he growled in a voice too low for his mother to hear.

"Not anymore, pup," Niki responded equally quietly.

"Boys… stop that," Joy said. She couldn't hear them but she knew they were still arguing. "I don't mind doing your laundry, Quil. You know that." She pushed at her son until he sat down.

He did know that, but now he felt guilty about leaving it here. His eyes narrowed at Niki who smiled at him. It was not a pretty smile. Quil noticed he was sitting at the head of the table as well. Annoyed by that, he tried to think about his options. He was fairly sure that Candie wouldn't do laundry for him, and he'd have no chance asking Ellen. She'd laugh in his face and make him do something for her to apologize for even asking. "I don't like change," he grumbled.

Old Quil gave him a sympathetic look.

He watched his mother try to make coffee for Niki, who leapt to his feet and insisted that she sit down. "I'll make breakfast for everyone," he said. "I'm not the best chef in the world, but breakfast isn't hard," he commented, with a pointed glance at Quil.

Quil glared at him harder.

Old Quil drank his coffee and hid his smile.

Quil was determined to be sulky about it, but then he watched his mother watch Niki. She kept smiling at him and he kept finding excuses to touch her or plant a kiss on her. She looked so happy.

Quil sighed. Imprints. He had no chance. He'd never had to share his mother with anyone before, but there was no way Niki was going to let her go. Nor was she going to let go of Niki. Having had imprints of his own, he understood, he just never thought it would be his mom.


	49. Chapter 49

**Chapter 49 - I'll be home for Christmas**

_Disclaimer: the characters and all recognisable situations belong to Stephenie Meyer - this is a work of fan fiction, except for the legends and histories of the Quileute that, of course, belong to them. I pay my respects to their gods._

_Thanks to BanSidhe [ruadh sidhe] and Feebes86 for betaing and pre-reading._

[AN: Thank you to whoever nominated this story in the 'favourite drop everything fic' category of the twific fandom awards. Apologies is in there, too for spicy I think.

twificfandomawards. blogspot. com. au/p/2013-nominees-list. html

Voting is open now but it is one of those 'vote as often as you like' contests, so a few dedicated re-voters could skew the whole thing. Not sure why they have chosen to do it like that. But again, thanks.]

* * *

><p>The pieces were all on the chessboard now, at least all the pieces that the Quileute had to play with. The Cullens had moved back into their old house and were keeping a low profile; no trips into Forks. At least the house was so far out of town and so isolated, that they were unlikely to get any people driving past. They had not cleared the ferns that had overtaken the front lawn in the years they were away.<p>

Carlisle kept offering to ask other vampires to help them until Billy just told him point blank, that if any of those vampires had red eyes, the pack would kill them the second they got anywhere near tribal land. No matter what Carlisle had told them.

"We have no treaty with them and we will not tolerate the deaths of others to provide sustenance for our allies - that would make us as guilty of murder as the Volturi."

The notice boards in the tribal hall started to fill up with information about their enemy. The five core members of the Volturi were: Marcus, Aro and Caius. The two remaining wives: Sulpicia, Aro's wife and Athenodora, Caius's. Neither had any special skills although Carlisle told them that Athenodora may be one of the oldest vampires in existence.

"What do they do?" Bella asked.

"They are kept virtual prisoners in the tower," Carlisle answered.

"Why?"

"Because they are so valuable to their husbands."

Bella stood quickly. "I need to go for a walk."

Josh looked concerned but let her go.

Edward stood quickly and made as if to follow her, but Jasper beat him to the door and after a small discussion, Edward went back and sat down.

Josh saw it all but pretended that he hadn't.

"Oh, it's you," Bella said when she saw it was Jasper.

"You were frightened it would be Edward."

"I cannot deal with Edward, today," Bella told Jasper. "Does that make me a coward?"

"No."

"Josh said that seeing you guys is hard for me because I didn't just let Edward go. I lost you, too and I had never had much of a family before."

"He's right."

"He is about a lot of things." She smiled at the ground; affection for Josh.

Jasper chuckled. "You trust him and his advice."

"Yeah… he has a few things worked out."

"What other gifts does he have?"

"What makes you think he has any?"

"Call it intuition. And Billy told us he had dreams."

"He has dreams of the future. He can share his dreams with me or walk in mine. I am never sure which." She paused. "And I can talk to him, in his head. Kind of like the pack does."

"His dreams are not as clear as Alice's?"

"No. Do you know, I have always wondered… do you think it is a self -fulfilling prophecy? That we say there was a dream of a battle with the Volturi and we do things to make sure that a war happens? We kill their scout, and force them to act."

Jasper looked amused. "Alice often says 'I saw it and you already love it'."

"Yeah, that kind of thing. I never wanted to argue with her, even if I didn't love it."

"But the tracker was hunting you already."

"I know." She kicked the ground and sighed. "And it's too late to change it now."

The vampire knew that was not what she was most concerned about. "What are you worried about, Bella?"

"I don't know… why now? That's what I ask myself. The Volturi rules are quite sensible, really."

"Yes, don't expose the secret."

"Train your newborns."

"Don't make child vampires. The world would panic if they knew vampires were real."

"And an out of control coven of newborns can do a lot of damage. We saw that in Seattle." He'd seen it in the New Mexico vampire wars, too.

"I am going to quote Josh again, but he thinks this all started a long time ago. He can't see why the vampires would reside near their only enemy."

Jasper looked contemplative. "That's a very good point."

They were quiet for a moment.

"Can I ask why that discussion upset you?"

Bella closed her eyes and held them shut for a second. "The first time I wanted to be a vampire; the first time I actually really wanted it, was when Jake had just phased and the pack wouldn't let me see him. I came out here and I was so angry with Sam. I wished to be strong and powerful so that I could hurt him."

Jasper waited.

"I broke off the wedding because I didn't get to make choices or decisions in my life."

"I remember."

"Of course. But is that where I would have ended up? Vampire Bella locked in a house to protect me… from everything? What kind of life is that for such a powerful, eternal creature? That's… _imprisonment_."

"I don't think Edward would have got to that stage. He was mostly concerned about you being human and fragile."

"I can see it getting that far." He had made Alice kidnap her once, and worse, Alice had done it and not just told him to stick it. She had also been through an extraordinary amount of damage as a human. When she had told her story to the tribe, it had sounded worse listed all in one hit like that. She could survive that human, what could possibly harm her as a vampire?

"You wouldn't let it happen to you."

"To the me I was then? That I can see." She was a doormat back then. She had kept forgetting to be angry with Edward. She stood in a jerky, sudden movement, shoving her hands inside her jacket pockets. "Why do they stay?"

"Corin. Another guard has the power to make vampires content. She virtually lives with them."

"She can't make them happy?"

"No. Just content."

"That's almost worse. You love emotions, Jasper. Imagine a life of-" she held her hand out and moved it in a flat line- "contentment."

"Yes, I see what you mean."

"We need to go back," she said.

When they got back inside, ten more names were listed. Lines were drawn through two of them, Demetri and Santiago.

"There are another seventeen guard members, according to Eleazar." Carlisle was writing in his immaculate cursive.

"The scared one is dead," Emmett said. "Alice just texted," he explained to Bella. "She had a vision in Seattle."

"So make that a total of sixteen more guards," Jake said.

She nodded and moved to stand next to Josh. He put his arms around her and kissed her ear. She leaned on him and stared at the boards. Sixteen plus five plus eight… was twenty nine. And there were only twenty seven wolves, plus the seven Cullens. "My god, it is going to be close."

* * *

><p>"This is her apartment?" Alice asked, with a deep horror of cheap decorating. "It's awful."<p>

"She didn't have a lot of cash to spend on rent, Alice," Rose said. "Or I suppose, the ability to carry much stuff if she had to run."

It was a standard casual rental apartment. Furnished the cheapest way possible and with the usual ugly prints hung on the walls. There was virtually nothing that made it recognizably Bella's to them. A coaster from Dave's bar smelt like vampire. "He was here," said Rose. "They were right."

Alice started digging in the closet. "There is just nothing here, why did she let us come and get it?"

"She knew you wanted to get away from the wolves." Rose was searching drawers in the bureau. "Speaking of… any visions?"

"Not yet." Alice was still in the closet. "There are maybe three viable outfits here."

"Just pack it all."

"How can she live with so few outfit options?" Alice never let the family wear the same outfit more than once.

"Alice, she always worn the same three outfits, left to her own devices," Rose said as she pulled those three outfits out of Alice's hand and packed them into a bag. "And she would wear them all with Converse shoes, if you remember. Now, back to the drawers."

They found a small, battered cardboard box in the bottom drawer. It held the bracelet and some other mementos; mostly photos of Renee and Charlie and some of Jake and his friends. At the bottom, Rose found the small packet of shots of the Cullens just before her birthday. Bella had ordered double prints and packed up half to send to her mother but Edward had taken them out of her car and never posted them. He had removed the ones from her photo album as well. He had hidden all of the things he had stolen from her under her floorboards when the family had abandoned her, along with the airline tickets and a CD of him playing the piano for her.

"We never let her take many photos," Alice said.

Rose was looking at the shot of Edward and Bella together. "She has changed." She held it out for her sister. "See?"

"Yes. She looks so much older."

"No, I think she looks better, now." Rose had never wanted Bella to become a vampire. She had tried so hard to convince her she was making the wrong decision. Giving up too much of life before she could experience it. Especially the chance to have children; that was what had really cut her up.

Alice didn't respond because her eyes had that glazed look. Rose wasn't even certain that she had heard her speak.

She sighed, and kept packing and waited for Alice to snap out of it.

"Aro killed the other guard." Alice was already texting.

"The one we sent back?"

"Yes."

"He would."

"Had a fit."

"He's insane." She glanced at Alice. "You've met him, don't you think he's crossed a line?"

"He is very old and nobody goes against him."

"Except us," said Rose with a bitter chuckle.

"Quickly! I want to get back to La Push."

"You can't see Jasper," Rose accused.

"No." Alice tried for dignified and failed. "And I don't like it."

"Let's hope you have another vision in the car."

* * *

><p>Concerned, Josh looked at his imprint. She hadn't moved away from his side since she had come back inside.<p>

She knew he was worried. "I'm valuable to you, aren't I?"

"Of course."

"But you'd never lock me in a tower to keep me safe?"

He held her face in both hands and gazed into her eyes. "Izzy, I'm throwing you in front of an army of ancient vampires in a battle to the death."

She laughed. And then she couldn't stop laughing. "I'm s-sorry," she spluttered. "That's not funny."

"But it's true," he said.

She kissed him soundly when she had got herself back under control. "Do we have visitors tonight?" she asked him.

"Nope."

"Oh, thank God."

"Are you two quite finished?" Jake teased.


	50. Chapter 50

**Chapter 50 - I'll be home for Christmas**

_Disclaimer: the characters and all recognisable situations belong to Stephenie Meyer - this is a work of fan fiction, except for the legends and histories of the Quileute that, of course, belong to them. I pay my respects to their gods._

_Thanks to BanSidhe [ruadh sidhe] and Feebes86 for betaing and pre-reading._

* * *

><p>Luckily for the tribe, like all behemoths and juggernauts, the Volturi was slow to get going. They were also thousands of years old and a couple of weeks was no big time span to them. So, even though Aro had announced that they were going, it took a long time to actually get them all ready to go on the road. Plus, the wives of the core members hadn't been allowed out of Volterra for a very long time and no one wanted to hurry them.<p>

* * *

><p>For the tribe, the days became a blur. Daylight hours filled with pack training and pushing Bella to work on expanding her shield. Josh not only had to train, plus help Bella, plus read everything that Old Quil gave him, and try to memorize a whole lot more that wasn't written down; things that he should have had the luxury of time to learn before he needed to apply them. But he was coming to the shaman role, like a lot of other things, late in his life.<p>

He spent a lot of his time with Embry who was clearly trying to avoid Leah or Billy or fill his hours and blank days. His closest friends were busy and he latched onto his father.

"Sam is still… aloof," Josh commented to Embry one day.

"Yeah. He's kind of dogged. I can't think of a better word."

"I know what you mean… I wish I could make it up to him but I don't even know where to start."

"Nate likes you," Embry said. "Ruth is still a bit little, yet."

"And Emily is doing her best as well."

"That ceremony, with the spirit stick - that was really cool."

It had affected Josh on many levels. "And I felt much closer to Sam then, than I do now."

"He's gone back in his shell."

"Do you have any ideas, Embry?"

"Show him what you are thinking."

"Share memories in the pack mind?"

"Yeah. Sam's the strong, silent type. He's not that much into chat."

"But if he could show me what he thought?"

"It might be a bit intense. Once that door opens, it will just all flood out." Embry looked worried.

Josh took a deep breath. "I don't care if it is intense, I owe him that much. He has never been able to show me his side of the story."Catching sight of Embry's face, he realized that Embry had never had that privilege either. "Of course," he added, "as my son, you could do it, too. If you wanted to." He wasn't sure how willing Embry was to share, either. In some ways, his two sons were very alike. They both played their cards close to their chests.

Embry scoffed. "You didn't even know that I existed."

"But I want to know, now."

His face brightened. "I'd like that."

"Good. We'll ask Sam."

* * *

><p>They were all running out of time. Everyone felt the creeping approach of the date both Alice and Josh had pegged as when the Volturi would arrive. It was difficult for most of them, but worse for Brady and Lucas, who both felt as if they needed more time.<p>

Since the night when Brady had kissed his nose, Lucas was like a tightly wound spring. Everything that went even slightly wrong was a major disaster in his eyes. He had a tendency to wail and moan about things and to blame himself if anyone else in the pack spoke sharply to him. Billy actually made him cry one day.

In desperation, Josh opened a mind link to Brady and just showed him how stressed Lucas was without letting the pack, and Lucas, know what he was doing.

_Please help us, Brady._

_Shit! This is my fault because I rejected him._

_Don't you start on the self blame-_

_Sorry._

_Look, I know this is hard for you but-_

_He IS my imprint._

_Yeah… I'll give him the afternoon off. I think Billy will agree to that. Just spend some time with him._

Brady sighed_. I'll come and pick him up. Jake will let me off… I haven't been the best lately, either. _That sounded like a confession. He was distracted and felt that he wasn't pulling his weight.

Josh told Billy the plan.

_Billy: Thank God! I feel like the biggest piece of crap, right now._

Josh chuckled and then let the pack mind open again.

_Billy: Lucas? Why don't you take the afternoon off? Go have a nice bath or something…_

_Lucas: This is my fault! I am letting everybody down-_

He stopped talking and his wolf went on alert. Head up, tail up, ears flicking back and forth. _Brady?_

_Is it? _Josh said disingenuously_._

_He's coming!_

The wolf turned to Sue. _Do I look a fright? Are my eyes bloodshot? Oh, my god, I need to shave my legs._

_Sue: Lucas… you're in wolf form._

_Oh… ha ha silly me. Eep! Should I change to human?_

_You look gorgeous, _Ellen suggested._ Furry or not._

_Oh, thank you, girl. _He ran around in a circle excitedly before he was overcome with worry again. _Does wagging my tail make my ass bigger?_

No one knew how to answer that question.

_Why don't you go meet him? _Billy tried.

_Oh, I couldn't!_

_You can… go on!_

The forties pack gave off half exasperated half amused mind sets.

_Okay, okay, I'll go. I know that I'm being a pest._

_Let us know how it goes, _said Jennie Black_._

_Oooh, yes,_ agreed Connie Black.

_Brady is just so dreamy, _Lucas added_._

_Go! _Billy ordered_._

* * *

><p>Brady could hear Lucas approaching. Without Josh, they couldn't talk to each other mind to mind. Lucas in wolf form behaved just like an excited puppy. He crawled towards Brady on his tummy. His head touching the ground, ears laid flat and his whole body as low as he could get it.<p>

Brady whuffed out a breath and touched his head with a paw; a sign of dominance.

Thrilled, Lucas rolled onto his back and exposed his belly to the more dominant wolf.

Brady had been at the bottom of the pack pecking order for five years, his wolf had never been a dominant; never had another wolf behave like this and defer to him. He felt a foot taller.

He couldn't resist. He leapt onto Lucas and gnawed at the fur around his neck, holding him down under him.

Lucas yipped excitedly and Brady growled at him. He licked around his snout to apologize.

Lucas was so thrilled he nearly pissed himself.

The wolves wrestled together and then ran for home. Lucas dutifully fell in behind him. Now Brady understood why the alpha could be an arrogant dick sometimes.

He heard Jake laugh in his head.

_Be good to him, Brady, he adores you._

_Yeah… yeah, he does._

* * *

><p>They stopped as close to Lucas' cottage as they could get without leaving the cover of the forest. Most of the rez knew about the wolves now, but it was an old habit and hard to break.<p>

Each was strongly self conscious and oh so aware of the other.

Wolf Lucas sat neatly as if he was waiting for instructions. He would be happy with whatever Brady gave him and now Brady saw that his initial rejection and careful approach could have been seen as cruel. He phased back and kept his head down as he put his cut-offs on. He knew Lucas was watching him, but he didn't want to make eye contact.

"Phase back," Brady ordered. He heard Lucas do it and heard him follow as he walked towards the cottage, still dutifully behind him.

The cottage wasn't locked. Brady hadn't been inside before. It was very neat. Very, very neat.

Lucas stopped nervously in the doorway.

"Got any sodas?" Brady asked him.

He leapt over to get him one and poured it into a cold glass he pulled out of the fridge. Brady caught a glimpse inside the fridge. It was tidy, too. Full of neatly labeled containers stacked and ordered. It was the neatest fridge he had ever seen. He was sure the condiments were placed in descending height order. "When did you get time to shop?"

Lucas shrugged and picked at a nail. "You get time… you know?"

Right. When Brady was ignoring him.

Lucas stared at the floor, still submissive as Brady drank his soda.

"You didn't get yourself a drink."

Another shrug.

"Want to share mine?"

Lucas kept his head low but looked up at him through his brows.

Brady stood up straight to give Lucas some more headroom and took a step towards him. He held the glass out.

It took a beat, then Lucas dutifully took it, without making skin contact. He had to lift his head to drink, but kept his eyes closed. Brady was close enough to smell him, and only him now and he smelt so good. Lucas drained it and put the glass on the counter behind him. Brady felt an urge to touch Lucas' hair. He reached up and brushed at it, gently pushing the hair off his forehead. The hand ghosted down his neck and down to the older man's chest.

Lucas froze, heart beating wildly. Brady could hear it. "Is my hand cold?"

"No."

"Good." His hand pressed palm flat against Lucas' pec. He shivered. A whole body twitch that went straight to Brady's cock. He could feel it thickening and lengthening. He had plenty of sex with girls and had experimented with a guy once, as Collin had reminded him. It had all been a bit rushed; rubbing dicks together with some guy who had picked him up in a bar. Brady had been so excited he had blown it early. The other guy had seemed disappointed when Brady didn't want to try anything else. His wolf wouldn't let him be lower than a stranger and he was embarrassed by the whole experience and unsure of himself. He had written it off as an experiment gone wrong.

But Lucas? This felt right. And it felt good.

Brady had to have him. With his hand still pressed against the flesh of his imprint, he had another wild urge - he wanted to fuck Lucas. He wanted to pin him down and fuck him… hard.

Lucas' eyes met his and he knew that Lucas understood, and more importantly, that he would give him exactly what he wanted. He just knew.

Acting on instinct, Brady grabbed the back of his imprint's neck and hauled him closer. "Kiss me," he ordered.

Lucas whimpered with joy.

* * *

><p>Lucas was a very good submissive. Without ever seeming to be in control, he made suggestions or he begged Brady to do certain things. And he had all the supplies they needed. Plenty of lube.<p>

And he had no gag reflex. Brady watched with utter fascination as his cock disappeared into Lucas' mouth and made a lump in his throat when he pushed it all the way in. Was it better than sex with a girl because Lucas gave the best blow-job he had ever had? Or was it because they were imprinted? He didn't know and by the time he got his wish and Lucas was pinned under him as he pounded his ass, he didn't care. No girl could take it the way Lucas could. He was a fast healing werewolf. Brady accepted the imprint. The gods knew what they were doing. He felt it shift within him. He had found his mate.

After a well earned nap, they came together again. More slowly, more gently and full of affection. That first wild coming together became their sex benchmark, often approached but never exceeded in their minds.

Brady lay on the tangled bed sheets and watched Lucas fuss over him. He ran him a bath, cooked him food and treated him like a king. Neither of them wanted to go to the communal hall to eat; they would have to share this with other people and just for now, they wanted to be alone.

They slept that night, wrapped up in each other's arms and in the morning Brady snuck off without waking him. Lucas woke alone and saw a note on the fridge. 'Gone to pack - B'

He had a panic attack.

He didn't understand, until Brady's car pulled up and he got out carrying a box of loosely packed items and clothes.

"What's the matter?" Brady asked when he saw his panic stricken face.

"I thought you meant wolf pack," Lucas wailed. "I thought you left me."

Brady laughed with relief. "No, pack… moving _in_ packing."

Lucas squealed and Brady hugged him. "I'll never leave you," he whispered to him.


	51. Chapter 51

**Chapter 51 - I'll be home for Christmas**

_Disclaimer: the characters and all recognisable situations belong to Stephenie Meyer - this is a work of fan fiction, except for the legends and histories of the Quileute that, of course, belong to them. I pay my respects to their gods._

_Thanks to BanSidhe [ruadh sidhe] and Feebes86 for betaing and pre-reading._

* * *

><p>Josh was sound asleep. His limbs sprawled on the bed. Naked as always and not under the covers. She could see him in the light from the bathroom, before she turned the light out. She thought he was gorgeous.<p>

She half got Edward's need to watch her sleep. Not all the time, and not when you didn't sleep at all yourself; that was creepy.

She was tempted to wake him up, but he was working so hard. The change had added some muscle to his previously more lean body. The planes of his stomach had definition and his shoulders looked wider than when they first met. She forgot not to touch him and in the now darkened room, she trailed a finger from the point of his shoulder to his throat. The change in his body told her that she had woken him up. He could see everything in the dark with his enhanced vision. She probably looked caught out. "I love you," she blurted out.

"Yes."

She poked him.

"You know how I feel," he said as he stretched and breathed deeply.

"Yes. I know."

His arm pulled her down onto his chest. He held her close for a minute. She listened to him breathe.

"Can't sleep?" he asked. He knew it wasn't because she had a nightmare.

She nodded against him. "Just… general anxiety."

"Come here, then," he said. He lifted her legs and made her straddle him. She could feel him hardening under her.

"Sex is not the answer to everything," she suggested as she sat up. "Not that I am saying, no."

"It is an answer to your insomnia."

"What?"

"You always sleep better after sex."

"I do?"

"You haven't noticed that?"

"I suppose so," she said and frowned as she tried to think about it. "I know that I fall asleep on you a lot."

"There you go."

"It's a wonder," she said. "The way you get my heart rate going."

He chuckled; it sounded pleased. He reached over and flicked the lamp on. She blinked in the sudden light change.

She asked him a question with her eyebrows.

"I like you seeing me," he said.

"Right. Because you can see me."

"I can… I really can," he crooned at her. "Admit it, you love watching my face."

She leaned down to kiss his face. "I do. You get this look as you come… almost as if it was just this side of painful."

She tried to do an imitation of his O face, the look he got as he orgasmed, and that made him chuckle, too.

"Watch it, or I will do imitations of you."

"You know what my O face looks like."

"Sure do. And now I am rested enough to wear you out. Make sure that you sleep well."

She chuckled. "That sounded like a challenge."

"Bring it." He made the gesture at her.

She laughed with delight.

* * *

><p>Her eyes closed and she sank down onto him; inhaled and when he was all the way in, held her breath. Her eyes were still closed. He was watching her avidly. Looking faintly amused. She pushed on his shoulders and lifted her body up to then thrust down. She huffed out the breath she held as she did it.<p>

She only got two movements like that in, before he grabbed her and flipped her onto her back. As he did it, he scratched down her shoulder blade. She winced but sometimes they got a bit rough with each other, so it wasn't unusual. Her knees were still up and he held them that way as he pulled back and thrust into her again.

* * *

><p>Edward kept hanging around Bella like a bad smell. Josh was tired, and one day, he'd had enough.<p>

"We need to talk," he said to the pale vampire.

Edward waited for him to speak although he probably knew exactly what he was going to say, but Josh said it anyway. "She's made up her mind. You need to leave her alone."

"I do not know what she sees in you. You want to put her in the front of a battle. You don't care for her at all."

"She left La Push. She went back to Seattle. And if she wanted to, she could have stayed away. I wasn't there to stop her. But she came back and she is working hard on her shield so that she can fight with the wolves that are protecting her. It's her choice. And I will stand with her while she fights."

Josh was sick of this. He stood right in Edward's face. He thought of last night; Bella fucking him like a wild thing. She looked like she was enjoying herself.

"Do you mind?" Edward hissed.

"Do you want to compare dick size? Will that make you feel better?"

"I've seen your dick," said Edward stiffly.

"Oh… have you?" Josh laughed. "You had to look, huh?"

"It was Alice, doing research into your pornographic past."

"Right… it's irrelevant." He made an abrupt hand gesture. "She didn't leave you for me. There's a five year gap there, during which she dated nobody on a permanent basis and the fact that she is with me now, has absolutely nothing to do with you."

"She didn't choose you; an imprint did."

"Right. Like a quirk of chemistry makes her blood attractive to you."

"She is my singer. Il mio cantante."

"Your what?" he shook his head. "Never mind. I don't care. And that's not strictly true about the imprint. We met in a bar. We were together _before_ the imprint, fell in love before that happened and I think we might still be together even if there was no imprint."

"You don't know that."

Josh gave a small smile. "We just clicked from day one. We haven't slept apart since that first meeting."

"We did the same."

"She doesn't want you. Respect her wishes. You do not know what is best for her."

"No. You don't understand - her hold on me is permanent and unbreakable."

"She let you go. Her hold on you is _gone_. She took it away."

"I do not think that you are good for her."

Josh snorted. He remembered the list of injuries she had sustained when she was with Edward. Her listing them all for the tribe. "It isn't your decision; it's _hers_."

Edward just didn't seem to be listening to him. "She always worried about me leaving her. I never thought it would be the other way around."

"Well it is. She left you!" In frustration, Josh ran his hand through his hair. He wanted to scream.

"Although, I have to say, I always wanted her to stay human. The two would have been … a conflict for her."

"Ah, yes her dislike of aging. I heard she used to be like that. Clearly, she isn't now."

"She does seem better adjusted to aging, now."

Finally something that they could agree on. Josh was trying to imagine how her staying human and staying with Edward could possibly have been an option. He imagined the unchanging eternal teenager linked to a woman who grew older, as all people do. A woman who developed laugh lines, gray hairs and wrinkles. She matured and aged when he didn't change. He could imagine his Izzy older; her body heavier with age and some of her jittery habits gone as she relaxed more and learned to be at peace. Her tendency to bite her lip and gnaw at her nails, for instance.

And what about what she wanted? The things he had loved and longed for at seventeen had changed so drastically. By nineteen he was married with a kid. He had not appreciated what he had. Now he was eager to see his child with her; his Izzy.

He remembered, too late, that Edward could read his mind. He gave him a rueful look. "Things change."

"She _has_ changed, even in the five years we were… apart," Edward conceded.

"Yes."

"I feared that, too."

"Change? Is that why you didn't want her to be turned?"

A small nod.

So he had considered the possibility that she might change her mind about being a vampire. Edward's family hadn't changed in seventy years or more. Added a couple of new members, but that was all. He was still seventeen; legally considered a child in most places in the world.

"I've changed," Josh confessed. "Made mistakes, got regrets, missed opportunities and done things that I shouldn't have." He had an image of little Sam waiting for the mail that never came. "Things you could never understand; not even if I showed you."

Edward watched him warily.

"But," Josh continued, "The one thing that I am absolutely, positively sure of is that Bella Swan loves me."

Edward's lips thinned.

"What she feels for you is pity and when she sees you, she feels guilt. Ask Jasper if you don't believe me. He can tell you what emotions people feel, right?"

"He can."

"So ask him. There isn't love there; not any more."

Josh spun on his heel and walked away. He tried hard not to think swear words at the vampire. Being made of stone, probably made it very hard to change. Maybe his brain was fossilized, too?

He had to check on Bella so he walked back to where she was watching the Forties. He kissed her and embraced her. That made him feel better. Her scent. Breathing her in and stopping that itch under his skin. Settling the wolf. "I have to go check in with Old Quil. I'll see you later."

"Dinner at the hall?" she checked.

He nodded and kissed her again before jogging away.

She frowned when she noticed Edward walk out of the forest from the same path that Josh had used. He smiled at her but she refused to return it and then she felt as if she was behaving like a five year old. She would have to talk to him. She couldn't put it off any more.

Edward approached her, as she knew he would with Josh gone.

"Were you talking to Josh?" she demanded.

"Yes."

"About me?"

"Yes."

"He looked annoyed. What did you say?"

"He is volatile. Offered to show me his dick."

Bella bit her lip. She would have to ask Josh what on earth that was about. "Well, you missed something there. I assume you didn't take him up on his offer?"

Edward made an annoyed little snort sound.

"You are only here to help fight the Volturi, if you are not going to do that, maybe it would be better for you to leave."

"I am here to fight."

"Okay, so stop following me around. We broke up. I am not interested in you like that."

"I can't help what I feel."

"I love Josh. I didn't marry you. I changed. I grew up."

"And I didn't."

"No."

"I didn't know that you had nightmares about a baby. You told … _him_ about it." He said it as if it was a betrayal.

"I told the whole tribe. It was a vampire; it killed everyone. And it wasn't just that."

"He said it was a warning. A hybrid."

"It was a pretty stupid idea to want to have sex on the honeymoon. Why didn't _you_ tell me that?"

Edward didn't say anything.

She knew sex with Josh got pretty rough sometimes. He'd bruised her and she'd scratched him and they hadn't even noticed at the time it was happening. They both knew what they were doing and had had sex before. What would two virgins have done to each other; one with superhuman strength and an attraction to the blood of the fragile human? If Jasper had picked up on Edward's blood lust for her the night of the paper cut, then Edward definitely _had_ blood lust for her, but just held it in check by sheer force of will. Mid sex? He could have lost it completely.

She pulled at the neck of her shirt. Edward recoiled as if she was going to expose herself to him.

She rolled her eyes. "I want you to see something." Lifting her shoulder up she pulled the shirt neck down. "Can you see the scratch?"

A hesitant reply, "Yes."

"Josh did that last night."

"He hurt you?" He sounded horrified.

"We were having sex. And it got pretty intense and he just flipped me over a little too enthusiastically."

She peered at him but his face was blank.

"Do you understand?" she checked.

No reply.

She plowed on. "Um… I'd get him to show you his scratches but he heals so fast," she said, sounding frustrated. "You should have seen the nail marks on his back from last night." She chuckled.

"I don't believe you." He sounded so stiff; so formal, but it was understandable, she was trying to discuss sex with him. She thrust her fingers under his nose but he recoiled.

"What are you doing?" he sounded offended.

"Sniff. You can sense blood, right?"

A nod.

She pushed her hand at him. He sniffed delicately at her fingers and wrinkled his nose. "I see."

"Ask him."

"No, thank you."

"You see inside people's heads, why is rough sex so hard to believe?"

"It's not; it's just hard to believe it of you."

"I am not the teenager you wanted to marry. Not anymore."

"Will you get married? To him?"

"I don't know." She gazed off into the distance. "It isn't important to me anymore." It wouldn't make any difference to the relationship she and Josh had now.

"You said you wanted to do things in the right order."

"Get engaged, then married?" Then die, right after the honeymoon (or on it). She didn't say it and he couldn't know what she was thinking.

He changed the subject. "I did some research about hybrids. I admit that I would not have thought of using contraception." His face twisted as if saying the word was distasteful enough. And she wasn't on the pill back then, or using anything else. She hadn't thought about contraception being an issue, either. Fuck. She could have got pregnant. The dream might have been a reality. "But… vampires? They are dead, how could they make sperm?"

"My research suggests that human vampire hybrids do exist. Mostly in South America. It seems that there is a male vampire who preys on women like that. There are only four who have survived the process to reach adulthood. One male and three female."

"What the fuck?"

He flinched at her swearing.

"He's breaking the Volturi rules!" she said. "How old are these kids? Isn't it against the rules to make vampire babies?"

"Yes, but I don't know why they haven't dealt with him. I suppose they aren't technically vampire children; they can grow and reach adulthood and the Volturi are mostly concerned about immortal children."

She had an image of Nate and Kaylee asleep in their blanket fort. "Half human half vampire. That would be tragic. And a child? How does it eat or grow? Who looks after them? I assume the father isn't around and that the mother doesn't survive the birth?"

Edward just shook his head. "The baby has to bite its way out; the womb sets as hard as vampire skin and only vampire teeth can cut…" His voice trailed off.

She shuddered. "The poor babies. Their first act is to kill their mother. How many of them died with no one to look after them?"

"I didn't mean to make you sad." He looked as if he wanted to comfort her.

She took a step back, away from him. "Edward, I don't know how to do this. But I have told you I love somebody else, I am with that man. I do _not_ love you. I do not want to be a vampire. The thought makes me feel ill."

He lifted his chin. "I sicken you?"

"No… but we are over. We were over five years ago. It's just … circumstances that have brought us together. I changed my mind." She said the last sentence forcefully. He had to understand. She wished, not for the first time, that Edward had found someone else to love.

"He said to ask Jasper what you feel."

"If that will help, then do it. I don't care."

She had to get away from him. She just walked away, but as she did she heard him repeat. "I don't care." He said it as if it was a foreign language that he didn't comprehend.


	52. Chapter 52

**Chapter 52 - I'll be home for Christmas**

_Disclaimer: the characters and all recognisable situations belong to Stephenie Meyer - this is a work of fan fiction, except for the legends and histories of the Quileute that, of course, belong to them. I pay my respects to their gods._

_Thanks to BanSidhe [ruadh sidhe] and Feebes86 for betaing and pre-reading._

* * *

><p>The wolf imprints were like perfect matches. Leah hated it. The way people who had never taken much notice of each other before, were suddenly soul mates like Jared and Kim. It creeped her out.<p>

But she was tired. So tired. Tired of all the training - although she had to admit, being physically tired was a different kind of tired to being emotionally tired. Embry made her feel guilty and sad.

Billy was at their place all the time. And when he wasn't there, they were in strategy meetings or talks or just sitting around the hall eating. They often sat near each other. Each got that imprint reboot from being near each other and the occasional brush of limbs.

She had also noticed a weird shift in pack behavior. She was the pack female for Jake's pack and the imprint of the alpha of the Forties pack. Plus, he was the tribal chief. It gave her increased pack status.

In a rare moment, she and Seth were lying on the new second-hand lounge. Replaced, _again_, after a wolf phase had torn it apart. They were watching TV if you could call staring at the screen with eyes half closed, actual watching. What was this program anyway? Fishing? For fuck's sake, as if fishing wasn't a big enough part of their lives? They had to watch it on television?

"How are you doing?" Seth asked. He didn't look at her when he asked; he knew better than that.

"With?" she checked, also still staring at the TV screen.

"Billy."

She wanted to tell him to shut up, but it was Seth; they had always been able to talk to each other. And part of her wanted to talk to someone. She would have fought demons for Seth and she knew he would do the same for her. "It's tricky. We are… feeling our way."

"Yeah… me and Alex, too."

Something just loosened inside her. "I can't stand it, Seth."

"What do you mean?"

"Poor Sam."

Seth was dumbfounded. "You feel sorry for Sam? Like… let me get this right… Sam Uley, Sam?"

Leah sighed. "I know it sounds like I have been eating Old Quil's mushrooms, but I had no clue how strong an imprint was … or is, or whatever."

"Until you are actually IN one." Seth knew now, too.

"He'd already dumped me, because he'd become a wolf and he didn't know how to tell me that—"

"Or wasn't _allowed_ to."

"Shit. Yeah… but then Emily came over to commiserate with me. Remember?"

"Yep. And she told Sam off—"

"And whammo."

"He… kind of tried to say no to Emily."

"No. Emily said no to him. She told him that he was behaving like Josh by dumping me and trying to take up with her."

"She had no idea what kind of can of worms she opened with that one."

"No, she didn't and look how well that turned out."

"Yeah… Sam phased too close and she is permanently scarred." He paused. "I don't think Josh knows that story."

"Crap. I'm not going to tell him. He likes Emily."

"Imagine finding out that he is kind of involved in her scarring."

"He'd blame himself."

"Josh is a cool guy, now."

"Sam is still avoiding him, too."

"Josh? How do you know that?"

"Billy said it."

"Right." Seth skipped up a few channels but the options were no better and he went back to the fishing channel. "Ah… is Billy saying no, like Emily?"

She gave him a look.

He held his hands up. "Just asking."

Silence for a beat.

Leah sighed. "We can all crap on about the will of the gods 'n all… but—" She stopped talking.

"But?" Seth prompted. Always game to push his sister further than anyone else.

"But it feels right. He gave me a hug in the hall, that first night the Cullens arrived. You probably don't remember."

Seth almost blushed. "I was a bit .. .distracted."

"Fuck. That's right. You nearly got in a fight with Paul."

"I know what you mean," said Seth, deftly changing the subject. "Alex is the same for me. And I know she's still a bit of a mess right now, we aren't even having sex because she gets all locked up about it, but just being close to her is good and we make out a bit. It's enough, so I know what you mean about the hugs. They both sleep with me now; we just pile in together and it's awesome! And it felt good right from the start."

Leah wasn't sleeping with Billy, Seth knew that. She wondered if he had brought that up for a reason. "She'll get there."

"I know. I'm happy to wait for her." He paused. "You've been seeing a lot of Billy lately," Seth said.

"He comes over here because Rachel has shifted to being shitty with him, rather than with Paul."

"Lucky Paul. No wonder Billy is around, then." Seth shifted on the lounge; stretching his neck. "Rachel needs to be told."

"Yeah… she does. But I don't reckon Billy will do it. She's still his daughter-"

"And he feels guilty."

"He gets this puppy dog look on his face when he's guilty."

Seth frowned. "That I cannot imagine." He noticed Leah's smile and poked her in the side. "Next you will say he looks dreamy like Lucas does all the time."

"God… Lucas is soooo happy now he and Brady are officially together."

"And he's been good for Brady too you know? He seems … I dunno… stronger?"

"Nah. He's more sure of himself. He's just got more confidence from being the center of Lucas' world."

"He's not the bottom of the pecking order." Seth eyed her off. "And you're the center of Billy's world."

She snorted. "That makes Rachel pissier, believe me." She stood suddenly. "Ha! I might go over there and jump his bones loudly just to piss her off."

"Atta girl, sis." He wasn't sure if she really meant it or not, but if she felt the imprint pull she probably wanted to be near him, as well. Especially when she was emotional and upset.

"Don't call me sis, bro," she growled at him as she headed out.

"You're fine," he said to the air she left behind.

* * *

><p>She let herself into the Black house. Since Billy had got back the use of his legs, he tended to not do anything sedentary; no more sitting watching sports on TV. Jake was probably out with Angela. Billy wasn't around but she knew he was close.<p>

She sniffed the air and headed for the back yard. He might be in Jake's garage. She found him tinkering with some engine parts. His face lit up and then shut down again quickly. It made her hurt.

"I didn't know you were a mechanic," she said.

"When you are a fisherman, you're everything."

"Don't want to be stuck out at sea with a non-working engine."

"Exactly."

She watched him for a minute. "So Jake inherited the mechanic gene?"

"Yes, he did but he's better with cars than I am." He threw the part down. "I don't even know what I'm doing."

"I know." She jumped up to sit on the tool bench.

"Yeah?" he challenged her.

"Not sitting down."

He laughed. "That's true."

"And you're messing about in Jake's space."

"Pfft. It was my space first." He gave her a look. "And what are _you_ doing?"

"Just came over to-" She stopped.

He sidled closer to her and bumped her leg with his hip. "Hmmm?"

She heard a car. "That's Rachel's car," she said without answering him.

He didn't move away.

She ran the back of her fingers down the outside of his upper arm. He had put on some muscle, too and his arms looked even bigger. He watched her do it.

"Do you feel that?" she whispered.

"Yes. It almost tingles. I feel better being near you and I am glad you came over."

"Seth said that was why you kept visiting our place."

"And to see my friends."

"And you like the walk."

"Yes."

"You don't have to walk home," she said quietly.

He looked uncertain of what she meant.

"Next time," she added. "You could stay."

"You're sure?"

"Yes." She reached up to hold his chin. She closed her eyes and kissed him; just a peck on the lips.

"Leah, we don't have to-"

She cut him off with another kiss.

* * *

><p>She had greasy hand prints on her body when she went inside, and she didn't even try to hide them.<p>

Rachel noticed. She also noticed Leah walk past her and into Billy's bedroom.

Billy followed her to the house after he had tidied up a little and scrubbed his hands. He was aware that it was Jake's space and he was trying to put off a confrontation with Rachel. He got one anyway. He had hoped that she would just leave before he got back to the house; but, no such luck.

"She's my age," Rachel accused.

He didn't argue with her. "I know."

"She's waiting for you."

He glanced in the direction of his room. "I know that, too."

Rachel stood. "I'm going to Paul's."

"Maybe that would be for the best."

Leah was lying on his bed with her arm over her eyes. "She's being a bitch. She knows what imprints are like and she can't even scrape up an ounce of sympathy for either of us. She plays the imprint card often enough at Paul."

"She thinks she's being loyal to her mother."

"Now? That's rich. Bella was right when she said neither twin cared before."

"Leah…" he warned.

"Yeah. I'll shut up."

He stood there uncertainly. He had got rid of the sick bed as soon as he could, but he had never quite expected to see Leah lying on the replacement. "Maybe we…"

She sat up, grabbed his arm and tugged him towards her.

"I'm not sure I can do anything," he said.

"Pardon?"

"The diabetes."

She looked up at him as if she thought he was joking, then saw his face. "That's okay… we can just sleep or hug or something. I don't care about sex, but … I give up, Billy."

He watched her silently.

"I can't fight it off, anymore… I look at Seth and Lucas and Mom and…" She put her arm back over her eyes and threw herself back onto the bed. "And they are all happy… you know?" She said it as if happiness was an alien emotion for her.

He could tell how upset she was and he couldn't resist comforting her. He brushed her leg with his hand.

"And I just need some skin to skin contact," she added.

"I understand."

"But I'll get grease on your sheets," she said tugging the stained shirt over her head and throwing it on the floor.

Turned out that he couldn't resist touching her, either. He didn't fight her off at all. She coaxed him into action with gentle hands and encouraging whispers. When he sank into her body she wrapped her legs around him and she could feel the moisture on her neck as the tears ran down his cheeks.

She held him as hard as she could. "Oh, god, Billy… don't cry." She was so glad Rachel wasn't there to hear it.

"Sorry… I just…"

"You never thought this would happen again?"

"No."

Silence.

"Talk to me, Billy."

"This feels… so ominous."

"That's what every girl wants to hear."

"That wasn't what I meant."

"No, I know… it's because we have a day set."

"I'm worried, Leah."

She knew that confession was just for her. A measure of his faith and belief in her as his imprint. "We are staking everything on this battle… _everything_. If Josh is right and they are all coming."

"He's right. I feel it in my bones."

"Me, too."

He rolled over onto his back and took her with him. She snuggled down and put her face on his shoulder. His arms wrapped around her.

"Thank you," he whispered to her.

"It's my-"

"You say duty and you will be in trouble," he warned.

She chuckled. "Fair enough and I was going to say pleasure."

"No, it really wasn't. I may be old, but I'm not ignorant. You didn't get much out of that."

"Out of practice."

They lay there silently. Billy's hands kept up a pattern of constant touch across her skin.

"Do you think imprints change people?" she asked him.

He was silent, but she knew he was thinking about his answer.

After a while he said, "Hey, you know that special place you go to to think? That one you told me about?"

"Yeah."

"Can you show me where it is?"

"No! It's mine. Go get your own."

He laughed. "There!" he said as if he had proved something.

"What?" she was ready to be offended.

"The imprint hasn't changed you. Still as prickly and private as ever."

"Ha! I'll keep you on your toes."

"Maybe that's the point."

* * *

><p>After their first time, Leah's pleasure took precedence for Billy. There was no such thing as a quickie with him, she had to come several times before he would let her guide him inside her. And he was strong enough to fight her over it, too. She didn't really mind.<p> 


	53. Chapter 53

**Chapter 53 - I'll be home for Christmas**

_Disclaimer: the characters and all recognisable situations belong to Stephenie Meyer - this is a work of fan fiction, except for the legends and histories of the Quileute that, of course, belong to them. I pay my respects to their gods._

_Thanks to BanSidhe [ruadh sidhe] and Feebes86 for betaing and pre-reading._

* * *

><p>Josh and Izzy were walking back to their cabin after eating in the communal hall. "Compare dicks?" She was a little annoyed with him. "What on earth, Josh?"<p>

"He's so… frustrating." He gave her a scathing look. "Well what did you do? And don't tell me you did nothing. I know you would have spoken to him. He was making you crazy, as well."

I…" she stopped.

"What?" He sidled in close to her. "What did you say?"

"I told him I scratched your back during sex."

He grinned. "Uh-huh. And?"

"How do you know there is an and?"

"Answer the question."

"I made him sniff your blood under my nails."

He guffawed. "Oh, the poor bastard. I feel sorry for him, honestly I do."

"What else did you tell him?"

"I told him that you felt pity and guilt over him. No love."

Her face twisted but she sighed in a heartfelt way. "Yeah…"

"Izzy, this isn't your fault."

"I know."

"What else did you say about my dick?"

She huffed at him. "I told him he'd missed something if he didn't check it out."

"God, I love you."

"You owe me big."

"What would you like?"

"For you to talk to Sam."

"Oh, come on… no fair."

She gave him what she hoped was a stern look.

He sighed. "It's arranged for tomorrow at sunset. Good enough?"

"That's good."

"I can't make it up to him, but I can apologize. In fact, that's pretty much all I can do."

"It's a start."

* * *

><p>Not unexpectedly, Sam, Embry and Josh met back where Josh had performed the spirit stick ceremony. He drew a large circle around them and isolated them from the rest of the pack with a few muttered words and a thought that closed the line; they felt the tingle in the air. This was not something that any of them wanted to share with the pack. The sun was setting and it struck him that this was almost he opposite time to the spirit stick ceremony. The end of the day, not the start.<p>

"Embry goes first," he said. "Is that okay with you, Sam?"

He nodded.

"I won't share any of my memories, this isn't about me." Josh knew Sam was still unsure of this and he hoped if he could share Embry's memories first, that might give Sam the impetus to do the same. "We need to phase. We can talk wolf mind and the circle keeps the pack out."

They both nodded and prepared to phase.

_Embry._

_I don't know where to start, so I'll just start at the beginning._

The story passed in scattered visions and feelings; sometimes with an emotional undertone. Not having a father didn't seem to be an issue for little Embry until he got to school, and then he noticed that other people had one and he didn't.

He had been friendly with Jake and Quil from the time they were all very young. They were friends because their fathers were, and Embry just kind of tagged along. As they got older, and people teased Embry about his missing dad, Quil would leap to his defense, with fists if necessary. His father had drowned in a fishing accident, and if you picked on Embry for having no dad, then you picked on Quil, too. That was what he reckoned.

Then Jake's mother had died, and the three boys were united by more than friendship. They were all missing a parent. Embry had issues with any holiday that celebrated fathers or families, but so did they, so it didn't seem like a big issue. He tried to ask his mother more than once, and got nothing. He was so glad that he had his two best friends.

Then he had become a wolf. He had hated Sam's gang. Joked to Jake that they were hall monitors on steroids. He was terrified. The process freaked him out and more so the secrecy. His life long friends couldn't know about this and it was killing him to hide it from them.

Nor could he tell his mother. She shouted at him all the time. Everything he did was wrong and when he started sneaking off at night and refused to say where he was or what he was doing, the shouting got worse. Tiffany made his life Hell. She thought he was in a gang; ironic, as he had hated Sam's gang.

The pack begged Sam to allow Embry to tell his mother about the wolf pack. None of them could stand being in his head. But Embry wouldn't let them. He said the secret was important. If he couldn't tell Jake and Quil, he didn't want to tell his mother.

Jake was obsessed with Bella and spent less time with Quil anyway.

But then Jake phased. Things were a little better but Quil was just lost without them. Embry's heart broke the day Quil tried to chase them into the forest, and Sam ordered them to all hide from him. Jake railed at him. He wanted to see Bella; he wanted to tell Bella. Sam said No. He was too young; too volatile.

Embry yelled at him. Look at Quil - he's huge. He's an Ateara, of course he'll phase. Sam said NO.

Then, finally, Quil had joined the pack and time passed. They fought newborns and saved Bella so that she could marry a vampire and Jake's heart broke. He ran away.

He skipped over his relationship with Leah; probably for Sam's sake. But they saw his worries about imprinting. Wondering if he was defective somehow. Was that why he didn't get an imprint?

Who was his father? Embry compared himself to everyone; did he have that guy's eyes or that one's ears? It could have been any male of the tribe, but once he phased, he knew it had to be a wolf descendant. The money was on Billy Black, Quil Ateara IV or Joshua Uley. Jared's father Steve Cameron straight up told him it wasn't him. He wondered if Jared had talked to him about Embry's concerns. He thanked him, anyway.

Niki Lahote had moved to La Push from Tacoma when Paul was about eight years old. Embry asked Tiffany if she had ever been to Tacoma just randomly one day and she said she hadn't. So that kind of ruled him out. Harry Clearwater just seemed too much in love with his wife to have ever cheated on her, so he thought he was out, too.

His mother just refused to discuss it. She didn't even make up some fanciful lie. He knew she was Makah and she had moved to the Quileute reservation pregnant with him. They never visited family so he had to assume that her relationship with them had broken down. Probably over her pregnancy with him.

Was that why she hated him? He'd cost her her family? At least, that's how it felt to him.

But it was all guesswork. He didn't know and she wouldn't say.

It was a toxic relationship and if it wasn't for Jake and Quil and their families that embraced and adopted him, he would never have known what real love looked like. But it made him tend to be very docile. He didn't pick fights, he accepted what he was given.

Then Bella had come back and brought this older guy with her. He played the memory of her being concerned that the unconscious Josh was his father. He sat and stared at him and found things the same in their faces.

He observed Josh and then the meeting where Josh had just told him to sit with the Uleys. Embry thought his heart would burst or he would cry or maybe both at the same time. He sat there and held Bella's hand and looked at Leah.

Leah. He loved Leah.

He let loose a little here as if he had gone too far and couldn't dial it back. He blamed himself for the missing imprint. He should have been more forward. He should have pushed her harder. Made her marry him or date him publicly. He should have been the more dominant wolf that she clearly needed. What self respect did it show to be happy to be her fuck buddy? He wanted more, why didn't he take it?

Because he was sweet and nice and not aggressive at all. He wasn't an alpha and never would be. He answered his own question.

The memories dwindled to a trickle and stopped.

They all took a deep breath.

_Embry: Sorry._

_Josh: don't ever apologize for being who you are, Embry._

_Sam: I was a dick over Quil. It was obvious he was going to phase. I wouldn't make the same decision, now. I was just so new to it all myself._

_Embry: I know, thanks Sam._

.

.

.

_Josh: Okay. Are we ready? Do you want to take a break?_

_Sam: No, let's just get this done._

Sam was thinking of Emily and his kids and then he seemed to make an effort to rewind; pushed it back to his own childhood.

He went almost too far. His first memory was of playing a with a dog on the ground in the yard; it was a puppy with enormous paws that it still had to grow into and every time it licked his face he would laugh. The yard was dry and dusty and he got picked up by people with older faces. Allison's parents and glimpses of Josh's.

In Sam's memories his father was bigger and taller than he was in reality. Was it that he was smaller and all adults looked like giants to him? There were flashes of moments; him being hugged or cuddled, by either or both parents. He was happy.

Then Josh fighting with Allison. Shouting at each other in the kitchen as Sam sat in his high chair. Josh storming out; doors slamming. Lying in his crib, looking through the bars and listening to more shouting; the sound floating down the hallway and making him cry. His mother crying.

Sullen anger replaced the shouting. A small boy looking for attention. A broken toy that he wanted fixed, snatched out of his hand and thrown in the trash. He dug it out later and got someone else to fix it for him.

Josh appeared less and less in these memories, until he just faded out. There wasn't a solid memory of his departure.

Then the pin pricks started. Like Embry. The hurdles. Father's day breakfast at the school. Bring your dad.

The gifts the class worked on; lop sided baskets made out of Popsicle sticks, wobbly brightly painted pots or badly sewn felt pictures. Sam gave them to his mother. 'The world's Best dad' banner hung on the fridge with a shot of Allison on it where the pic of his father should have been.

A few guys flashed past, but Sam didn't like them and they moved on. He did wait at the mailbox, just as Josh had imagined. Waiting for birthday and Christmas presents that often never came and when they did, they were wrong. Gifts too young for the age he was when they were sent. Sam tried to like them. Hung the Thomas the Tank Engine clock on the wall. But they were all wrong.

And then they stopped altogether.

He was a quiet kid at school. He worked hard, did part time jobs and gave his salary to Allison. Leah flashed past, looking younger and utterly beautiful in his memories. She was so happy that Josh almost didn't recognize her. They talked about getting married.

Then he started to change; night sweats, weird dreams and increased appetite.

He phased and had two weeks of abject terror. Hiding in the forest, unsure of what had happened, until he turned human in his sleep.

He fought with Leah. She was so angry with him. He broke up with her; she shouldn't have to date an animal and he couldn't tell her where he had been for those two weeks. He struggled along on his own and then Jared joined him. Then Paul phased and by that time he started to put it together. He was their leader at nineteen and he barely knew what he was doing. He worried about them all.

Leah's cousin came over to commiserate with her. It was Emily and he imprinted. The vague hold he had on what was happening shifted again. Emily rejected him.

She went back to the Makah Rez. Sam followed her. She told him to leave her alone, but he couldn't; the imprint was so strong. He visited her every day. Every day she refused him. Weeks later, she was back for a family function in La Push, he tried again and she told him he was a liar and he had treated Leah badly.

She screamed at him 'You're just like your father. You're a liar and a cheat just like Joshua Uley!'

Sam was so angry. He was nothing like his father. He had tried so hard his entire life to be nothing like his father.

The anger took over; he phased and then there was only screaming and blood everywhere.

Emily bleeding out on the floor with half her face missing. Jared shouting in his head; trying to calm him down and work out what had happened. Jared leaving him alone as he phased back to call Sue Clearwater and then the wolf was running.

Days hiding and trying to kill himself. Paul finally phasing in and telling him that Emily wanted to see him, before Sam could order him to phase out again. He had to go; his imprint wanted to see him.

She forgave him and he cried. Her face a ruin. His claw marks cutting down her face; dragging down her eye and her mouth on that side of her face. Her eyesight thankfully not damaged. Scarred for life. People recoiling in the street at her ravaged face. A scar so bad, the only way to explain it was a bear attack.

_Embry shouting: NO Sam! STOP IT! __**STOP IT!**_

Josh, still in wolf form, backing away from his sons. The black wolf shaking its head as if it could throw the images off. As he pushed over the line of the circle, it broke and a spike of raw anger and emotion roared out into the pack mind.

Sam phased human; it was the only way he could shut it down.

He was on his knees, head hung forward. "I hated myself that day - but not as much as I hated you."

"Jeez, Sam, that's not fair!" Embry shouted at him. "It wasn't his fault!"

Josh's wolf let out a mournful howl and ran.

Jake and Leah arrived within minutes.

"What the fuck is going on?" Jake asked.

Embry and Sam were still arguing.

"You cannot blame Josh for what happened to Emily," Embry said.

"Shut up, Embry. This was your idea," Sam retorted.

"What? So now you are going to blame _me?_"

"What is going on?" Jake demanded, now with an alpha tone that they could not ignore.

Embry tried to explain. "Josh wanted to see our lives, you know when we were kids and Sam just flooded him with shit."

"It wasn't shit - it was my life! Without my father!"

"And then he hit him with him phasing too close and hurting Emily. Why, I have no idea."

"Oh, fuck!" said Jake.

"You saw the memory, Embry. She told me to go back to Leah."

Leah sucked in a breath.

Sam was crying as he tried to talk, "I said that I wouldn't. That I loved her. That she was my imprint." He gasped in a breath. "She said I was a liar… just like Joshua Uley. You're just like your father, Sam. A-And I phased. She said I was just like him." His voice got smaller as he kept repeating Emily's words.

Leah and Jake exchanged a look. "I didn't think he knew about that one."

"How did she even know about Josh's history?" Jake asked.

"Leah told her," Sam murmured.

"You gonna blame _me_ now, Sam?"

"Where is he going to go?" Embry asked.

Jake was already dialing. "Bells. He'll go to Bells."

"Sam you have got to forgive yourself," Leah said.

"I thought I had. This brought it all back."

"Emily doesn't blame you."

"But I do. I kiss the scars first - every time I see her. I'm still trying to apologize."

"Oh, Sam." Leah hugged him. "She loves you. She's about to have your third kid."

He started to sob.

Leah rocked him.

"Fuck. There's no answer." Jake looked panicked.

"Do you reckon he's with her already?" Embry asked. "He's fast and he knows exactly where she is."

Jake's phone rang. "Dad?"

"Why did Josh just kidnap Bella? Do you know? He's locked us out of his head."

"She's all right? He didn't hurt her?"

"No. She seemed to just go with him. Knew it was him. Climbed on his back and went. What happened?"

"He's upset."

Billy could probably hear Sam crying in the background. "He's not the only one?"

"That's Sam. Things got a bit emotional."

"Ah. Right. Everyone is tired and emotional." A pause. "Is Leah okay?"

"Leah's fine."

"I'm good," she said knowing her mate would need to hear her.

"Okay." He hung up.

"Should we look for them?" Jake asked Leah

She shook her head. "If he's got Bella, he'll be fine. She'll talk him down."

"He won't hurt her," Embry said.

"If he does, that'll be my fault, too," Sam muttered.

"Shut up, Sam," Leah said. "She'll handle it."


	54. Chapter 54

**Chapter 54 - I'll be home for Christmas**

_Disclaimer: the characters and all recognisable situations belong to Stephenie Meyer - this is a work of fan fiction, except for the legends and histories of the Quileute that, of course, belong to them. I pay my respects to their gods._

_Thanks to BanSidhe [ruadh sidhe] and Feebes86 for betaing and pre-reading._

* * *

><p>Josh panicked. Completely stunned by Sam's raw emotion, and the overflow of memories, he ran. His wolf ran for his imprint with utterly unerring accuracy.<p>

Bella had been sitting with Charlie and Billy, having a hot drink in the tribal hall. They were discussing ammunition or fishing lures, she could never tell which and thought that she probably ought to do more fishing or shooting or _something_ with her father when she got a really strong sense that something was wrong. She stood so abruptly that the chair fell over behind her. She blinked and stepped towards the door.

"Bells," Charlie chided, as he leaned over and straightened the chair for her.

She walked faster and then she was running for the door.

"What's going on?" Billy asked.

"No idea."

The men followed her.

Her phone started ringing but she ignored it. She stood there just staring into the forest. A black wolf pelted out of the forest and ran to her. It danced and skittered outside the hall; its ears flat on his head and its tail tucked along it's back leg.

"Josh?" she said to it.

"Is that Josh?" Charlie asked Billy.

"Yes and he's… threatened," Billy said, reading the wolf's body language. He phased instantly, but the black wolf ignored him and whimpered at the girl standing in front of it.

"Not by Bells," Charlie said, "She was here."

The animal looked panicked; its eyes darting around.

"No, Dad. I can help. He wants me." Bella reached a hand towards it so that it could scent her. She was not afraid. "Josh? Did you come looking for me?" She stepped closer to it and put her face in against his neck. "Here I am."

"Bells!" Charlie warned, but she had already climbed onto its back. He made a frustrated gesture, his hands raised over his head.

The wolf, with its rider, wheeled around and darted off into the forest.

Billy phased back and naked, started scrabbling through the remnants of his clothing.

"What the fuck, Billy?" Charlie asked.

"Phone. Where's my cell?"

"You couldn't talk to him? You know, head share thing?"

"No, something has seriously upset him. Ah!" He started dialing. "Why did Josh just kidnap Bella? Do you know? He's locked us out of his head."

'Jake' he mouthed at Charlie, to explain who he was calling. "No. She seemed to just go with him. Knew it was him. Climbed on his back and went. What happened?"

Billy asked a few more questions and then said, "Okay," and hung up. He looked at Charlie. "Sam's sobbing, Embry's upset, and Josh is _here_."

"Oh, crap." Charlie glanced the way the wolf had run. "Bells told me he was thinking of getting them to show him their memories. What could—"

And then they both realized at the same time. "Emily."

"Fuck," said Billy. He looked at his friend and they both looked the way the wolf had run. "We can't send anyone; he'll just block them."

"She's on her own." Charlie did not look pleased about it.

"He won't hurt her."

"What? Like Sam didn't mean to hurt Emily?" Charlie hadn't known about that until Seth blurted it out that first crazy night when everyone phased.

"Charlie…" Billy paused. "Emily accused him of being a liar… just like his father."

"Oh… hell no. So Sam thinks Josh cost Emily her face?"

"Basically… yes."

Charlie put his hand over his mouth.

Someone came out of the hall with some spare clothes for Billy.

"He won't hurt her," he assured Charlie as he put them on.

Charlie looked like he didn't believe him.

* * *

><p>The wolf ran and ran. Bella clung to its neck until her fingers ached, her legs were sore and her face hurt from windburn. She kept telling him in her head that he was okay, that she loved him. "Josh," she said through sore lips, "Can we go home now? Back to the cabin?" Pleas made in his head didn't seem to be working. It changed direction so she had to assume it had heard her and understood.<p>

It had. They were at the small cabin in no time. The animal seemed calmer now.

She fell off its back and landed on the ground with an 'omph'.

The enormous animal wound around her in smaller and smaller circles, low to the ground until she was surrounded by it. It tried to put its massive head in her lap. "Phase back," she said in frustration. "Tell me what's wrong."

It took more time, but eventually the wolf became a naked man, still curled around her.

"Tell me," she insisted.

He poured it all out. He had no idea how hard it was for his sons. He was so selfish and so stupid. He was busy partying and doing stupid, pointless things. They were children and he had let them down. And then Emily and the accident. He cried; face buried in her lap.

She held him and she patted his heaving shoulders.

She crooned nonsense at him, until her legs went to sleep and she had to suggest that they finally go inside where it was warmer. "But I can't walk."

He scooped her up and carried her inside.

He wouldn't let go of her.

"I need to get out of my clothes," she told him.

He helped her undress and then they fell into bed together. He just wanted to hold her; pressing her up as close to him as she could get. He buried his face in her neck. She could hear him breathing; calming himself with her touch and her scent.

"It wasn't your fault," she ventured, after a few minutes peace. "I knew Sam had caused the scarring, but I didn't know the exact circumstances of it."

"Embry's memories were bad enough, but Sam's? I thought I was ready to share it." He shook his head.

"Emily has never said a thing about you; not to me. She likes you. She lets you look after her kids. There is no way she would do that if she thought you were a bad person."

A small mumble against her skin was Josh's only reply.

"She's been trying to get you and Sam back together."

Another mumble.

"Is there some ceremony you could do?"

"To?"

"To help Sam. If he poured all that guilt onto you, then he is still feeling it."

"It was… raw."

"If he had forgiven himself completely it wouldn't have been such a sore point."

"True."

"You both have need of some forgiveness."

He rubbed his face on her. "Yes."

"So Embry was okay?"

"He was angry with Sam. Tried to stop him."

"But phasing was hard for him, I know that."

"Yes. He showed me that."

"It's this stupid secrecy thing. I mean, I get it for the tribe, but it hurt Emily, Leah, Embry and Quil."

"Embry felt major guilt at abandoning his friend."

"I saw Quil that day. The day he went chasing after the pack. He was walking along the road, totally dejected and I picked him up. He sat in my truck and he looked so sad. He thought they had joined a cult. He had no reason to think his friends would run away from him and he was so upset."

"I saw it in Embry's head. He hated leaving Quil, hearing him call out to them as they ran and hid from him. It broke his heart."

"Of course, it would. Believe me Quil was equally upset." She rubbed down his back with her hands. "Emily was Makah, so the tribal secret couldn't be shared with her, and Sam couldn't tell her until she accepted the imprint. Which, by the way is silly."

"I love and adore you; you are my life partner, wait for them to say 'yes' and _then_ tell them you're a shape shifter?"

"Exactly. Oh, that's a point, has anyone ever refused an imprint?"

"I can't find many imprints in the old records. I suppose there weren't a lot of wolves to have them."

"That might fit with your grand plan of the tribal gods."

"What might?"

"More imprints now; when they are trying to finish the chess game." She shifted a little against him; trying to get more comfortable. "But Quil was always going to phase, it seems stupid to keep it a secret from him." Her voice was dropping and her words coming more slowly.

"Yes." Josh frowned as he was thinking. Maybe that did need to change for future wolf generations? Then they might not have another Emily-like accident.

He looked at her. Her eyes were closed and she was breathing evenly. "Izzy?' he checked, but he knew she was asleep.

* * *

><p>Hours later, when they were both asleep, she walked into a dream. The nightmare she walked into wasn't hers; it wasn't even Josh's. It was a replay of Sam's life. For some reason, simply waking up was too hard for her, so she hugged dream Josh and protected him from the emotions of the images. She tried to use her shield to lessen the impact of it. Instead of imagining it as a safe that slammed shut, she imagined a Venetian blind. One that she could gradually adjust until it was closed and the image was impossible to see.<p>

They both woke some minutes later.

"Thanks for that," he said.

"I'm just glad it worked."

"I need to have a shower."

"I'll be here."

She leapt out of bed, grabbed her phone and texted her father to say that she was okay. She knew that whatever time it was, he would want to know. Climbing back in bed, she listened to Josh bathe and when he came back to join her, he was damp and smelt of soap. He slid under the covers and propped his body over hers. She played with his wet hair.

"When this is over," Josh said, "I am going to lock you in the house and take my time with you."

She frowned at him.

"With your permission, naturally."

"What house? We don't have one."

"Crap. I'll think of something. I'll carry you all the way back to Seattle."

"I liked that apartment, but maybe it would be better if you drove back to Seattle. Can't have wolves in the city streets."

"Cool! That's the plan."

"That would be wonderful."

"And we could eat takeout-"

She thought it was amusing that he thought of food; the constantly hungry wolf. "-and drink coffee-"

"-and never turn the television on-"

"-and go for midnight strolls-"

"-and be normal-"

"-and not be hunted by vampires. I am so tired of my super special blood."

"We'll do a Keith Richard on you."

"A what?"

"Change all your blood. Didn't they do that so he could pass a drug test and the Rolling Stones could tour the USA?"

"Isn't it a myth?"

"Sounds legit. Wouldn't surprise me if it was true."

"You're showing your age," she teased.

He laughed and slid down the bed to bury his face between her legs. "My wolf loves the musky taste of you."

"Perfect. That is one of my favorite things, as well."

"To see you writhing and pushing onto me makes me happy."

"I'm happy... believe me... I'm happy."

He didn't reply his tongue was busy with other things.

She tried to tell him that she was happy and looked after.

"You're happy?" he asked.

_Ecstatic_, she corrected him as her back arched and her body locked tight. She grunted.

His tongue worked at her, flicking across her clitoris. He knew she was close. Tremors started in her tensed muscles. _Yes, right there… a little bit lower… oh, fuck… that's it… right there… oooh…_

"Shush_,_"he said, but with love and amusement.


	55. Chapter 55

**Chapter 55 - I'll be home for Christmas**

_Disclaimer: the characters and all recognisable situations belong to Stephenie Meyer - this is a work of fan fiction, except for the legends and histories of the Quileute that, of course, belong to them. I pay my respects to their gods._

_Thanks to BanSidhe [ruadh sidhe] and Feebes86 for betaing and pre-reading._

* * *

><p>Embry had moved from upset to more annoyed with Sam. "If he leaves this is your fault."<p>

Sam sighed and wiped the tears from his face. "He won't _leave… _you're being ridiculous._"_

"Ridiculous? Shit, at least I didn't pile all my guilt crap onto him and freak him out."

"It was the truth, Embry. And if you keep him close without being truthful… that would make a bigger mess."

"He's my father," Embry wailed. "I want him to be around. Even if I am too old to appreciate it."

"Stop it! Both of you," Jake ordered.

Leah rose to her feet and stood right in Embry's face.

"Embry Call!" Leah roared at him.

He stopped talking and he almost took a step back.

"This is your brother." Leah pointed at Sam. "This is **not** how you treat brothers. I know you've never had one before, but Jake and I got a tiny percentage of whatever the fuck Sam showed Josh and you are behaving like this is all about you. Josh is not going to leave and even if he did, you shouting at Sam is not going to stop it happening. So, stop panicking and have some fucking sympathy."

Jake's eyebrows raised. Leah was the pack female in action.

Embry blinked at her. "Sorry, Leah."

"You take him home," Leah ordered. "And don't apologize to me."

"Okay. Sorry, Sam," he muttered.

Jake was silent and watchful.

Helping Sam to his feet, he and Embry embraced and then started to walk slowly back towards the reservation.

Jake went to follow, but Leah grabbed his arm. "Wait."

When they were sure the other two were out of earshot, Leah said, "Did you get any of what Sam was projecting?"

"Some glimpses here and there."

"I think Sam is more damaged than anyone has realized."

"Maybe." Jake glanced after the two brothers.

"He kept such a tight lid on his head over that Emily thing. Most of us didn't even know what had caused his explosive phase. And it was what? Six years ago, Jake."

"He's still not over it."

"This is going to sound weird… but have you noticed something odd about Sam and Emily?"

"No, but I didn't spend months obsessively glaring at them."

She rolled her eyes. "I didn't hate them. Remember? I said to you that I wanted Sam to be happy. I just didn't see why I needed to see it all the time. That was all."

"I remember." He grinned at her.

"So… how can I explain this? If you hurt Angela… and it left a scar, would you prefer to forget about that scar? Would you just _not_ see it? Pretend it doesn't exist. It never happened."

"I'd hate reminding her that I hurt her. Not that I ever would."

"If it was an accident, say."

"Why?' His eyes narrowed at her.

"Every single time Sam sees Emily, he kisses her facial scars first."

"First?"

"Yeah, before he kisses her on the lips."

"That's weird."

Leah's face looked triumphant. "That's what I reckon. If it was me, I'd tell him to cut it out."

"But it's Emily."

"She is probably not game to say anything."

Jake looked pensive. "Every single time?"

"That I've noticed. I don't think he does it just when I am around; it's not for my benefit. It's for hers."

"Is he trying to apologize?"

"That's a pretty fucked up apology."

"If it was you, you'd just tell him to fuck off; that you were more than a scar."

"Damn right I would. And so is Emily."

"Let's head for home. I'm starving." Jake glanced at Leah. "Call Dad and tell him you're alright."

She smacked him in the stomach.

"Go on," he chided, ignoring her physical assault. "He'll just call me again." He poked her in the side. "And you two are so cute together."

"Goddammit, Jake. I will hurt you."

"Aww, can I call you stepmom?"

"Run, boy."

He ran.

* * *

><p>Leah and Jake shared the scar kissing theory with Billy, who talked to Sue, who talked to Bella, who mentioned it to Josh.<p>

"Honestly," Bella said. "For a tribe with super special fast communication abilities, this is too much. It has taken too long, as well."

Josh looked amused. "I agree. I also agree that Sam is still wounded."

"Me too, from what I saw of your dreams."

"We have to deal with it soon. Sam keeps trying to avoid me."

"That must hurt."

"It does, but it also makes it hard to deal with training the whole pack."

"Pack mind again."

"I have done healing ceremonies for other people over the years. I would like to help them both, now."

"I'll talk to Emily for you."

"Ask Leah about it, first."

"Good idea. She knows them both."

"What?" he asked. "You've got this look on your face."

"Haven't you noticed her and Billy?"

"I may have." He was clearly trying not to admit anything.

"Oh, come on. They lean towards each other, he listens to her talk with this rapt look on his face-"

Josh chuckled. "The way I look at you?"

"So they are together, now?"

"I've got pack secrets to keep, you know."

"Oh, please, there are no secrets from me."

"So ask Leah yourself."

* * *

><p>"You liked older men, huh?" Leah asked.<p>

She and Bella were sitting in the Black kitchen. Bella was fairly sure that Leah virtually lived there now. Leah had frightened her years earlier; a permanently angry female wolf was a frightening thing, but she understood her better now and she thought she had just been more aggressive than Bella had been used to back then.

"Yes," Bella said. "I was hiding… running and I didn't want-"

"Permanency?"

"Yes. Or complications."

"I got the impression that you were a virgin."

She made a face. "Oh, yes. No sex before we were married! So that had to be the first thing to go."

Leah snorted. "Why?"

"Edward used it to almost blackmail me into marrying him. I suppose we blackmailed each other."

Leah looked intrigued.

"I wanted sex," Bella explained. "He wanted marriage."

"Ah… and he wanted to turn you."

"That was to wait until after the honeymoon."

Leah hissed. "Ouch. Seriously?"

"I know, right? I was so naive back then. I had no idea what sex was like. How much force can be involved when you lose control sometimes and sex with a vampire; with vampire strength? Who likes my blood? Josh has told me off for that. As much as he tells me off."

Leah chuckled. "Good sex gets messy, too. I don't think Edward is the type to cope with mess."

Bella tried to imagine it and failed. She couldn't imagine Edward feeding from animals with bloodstains on his clothes. Always so immaculate. "And sex almost hurts sometimes. I even told Edward that this week."

"Hurts so good," sang Leah.

They both laughed.

Leah bit her lip, shuffled her mug around and shifted on her chair.

Bella waited.

"It's different," she finally said.

A nod. She assumed she meant sex with Billy.

"He's so… thankful. No, that's not the right word. That makes him sound pathetic and he is anything but that."

"Appreciative?" Bella understood that Billy's name was off limits. She remembered Josh saying how physically impressive Billy had been when he was young. The wheelchair had diminished him; made him seem smaller. Standing on his own two feet he was every bit as physically dominant as Jake was.

"He looks at me… like I'm a goddess," Leah whispered. "And I don't think it's just the imprint."

"I guess you are a second chance for him," Bella ventured.

"Things lost…" Leah slumped in her chair. She looked a little embarrassed. "The diabetes…" She stopped talking.

Bella had a thought. One of the first signs of diabetes was erectile dysfunction. Billy probably hadn't been functioning properly from the waist down for a long time. "He can love again," she tried.

"_Fuck_," Leah corrected her.

"Oh, whatever," she waved a hand dismissively, "I was trying to be nice."

Leah chuckled. "Right. Sorry." After a pause, "Thanks."

"I understand."

There was silence for a beat. They both avoided looking at each other.

Leah cleared her throat. "There seems to be more of an imperative at the moment too, because we are-"

"Running out of time."

"Yeah."

It must have been more difficult for Leah with Billy being an adult in her life for so long. "I had no history with Josh. He was just a good looking man I saw in a bar." She hoped that hint worked.

Leah nodded. "I thought it would be weird because he was friends with Dad, but once I started seeing him differently, I can't go back to how I saw him before."

"Like when a friend becomes more than a friend?"

"I suppose. Yeah."

"It was easy for me. Josh just gave me his phone number, we got talking and he offered to come back to the bar and walk me home at 1am."

"To his home, right?"

"Yeah."

Leah studied her. "I think you are different for him, too. It's the way he looks at you, as well."

"Oh, I _know_ I am different for him. I'm his second chance, too." She hadn't told anyone else about this but she thought Leah needed honesty now. "He said he had been dreaming of me before we met."

Leah pursed her lips. "Wow. That's smooth."

"That's _exactly_ what I said!"

They both laughed.

"Hey, at least mine is loyal. Yours was a slut." Leah chortled.

Bella giggled. "Oh, my god. I got last gen Paul."

"He's not anymore."

"Yeah. Speaking of… how's Rachel?"

"She's not happy about the imprint with her father. She is imprinted, you'd think she'd get it but…"

"It's hard for everyone," Bella said diplomatically.

"And she and Paul fight a lot. I mean… seriously? Imprinted wolves who can fight." She shook her head.

"Josh said that Paul might feel trapped or collared."

"Slut experience speaking?"

"But he was ready for the trap, if I can call it that."

"And Paul wasn't."

"Yes. So he's fighting and he fights with her-"

"Because she _**is**_ the trap."

"Yeah."

"He's been trying really hard to calm her down, but she's so angry about her father."

"And Rebecca leaving."

"Christ. I hope they sort it out. It puts everyone on edge."

"Thank God, they don't have kids."

"Gah. That would make it worse right now."

"No magic baby? I suppose a baby can't fix things that are cracking apart."

"No, it just makes the cracks bigger and it isn't fair on the baby."

"True."

"What about you?" Leah asked.

"And babies?" Bella asked carefully. She wasn't sure that was what Leah meant.

A nod.

"Ah… Josh dreamed of them. Or at least of me being pregnant."

"So it _will_ happen if his dreams are accurate. How do you feel about that?"

"I don't know. I used to be terrified of getting older and he's not going to age as fast now he's a wolf."

"So it could work?"

Bella tried to think what to say and then she thought the truth was the best option. "I adore him. I'd have his babies." She remembered too late that Leah thought she was sterile. "Sorry, I know this a sore topic for you."

"It's okay." Leah shrugged.

"Josh has some work to do with Sam, though."

"Emily wants it."

"She does?"

"She's huge on family. Busy producing her own. Sam might have hurt her when he phased but betraying family almost killed her. I know that now. I was too angry at the time to see it."

"She's your cousin but she was also your friend?"

"Yes. We were all new to imprinting then. No one knew how it worked. She wants Josh and Sam to mend their fences."

Bella idly wondered if Emily had pushed him into doing the mind share thing that had gone so wrong.

"That's how Josh woke up," Leah added.

"What was?"

"Family. Emily brought Nate over and sat him on Josh's chest."

"Oh, did Old Quil tell her to do that?"

"I don't know, but it worked." Leah shifted a little. "I reckon Emily would have thought of that herself. Family solves everything in her world."

"It worked."

Embry was helping Josh, too, but she really wasn't sure about him as a topic of conversation so she didn't mention it.

"Nate, the magic baby," Leah said.

"He is very cute."

"Yeah… he is."

"So you reckon Emily would be okay with Josh, who is family, doing a shamanic healing ceremony for her and Sam?"

"I reckon that would work."

"He's apologizing again."

"It wasn't his fault. A heck of a lot of blame lies with the whole secret wolf pack."

"I think so, as well."

"Do it before the new baby arrives."

"New starts."

"Yep."

She hugged Leah when she left and Leah hugged her back. It felt like a step in the right direction.


	56. Chapter 56

**Chapter 56 - I'll be home for Christmas**

_Disclaimer: the characters and all recognisable situations belong to Stephenie Meyer - this is a work of fan fiction, except for the legends and histories of the Quileute that, of course, belong to them. I pay my respects to their gods._

_Thanks to BanSidhe [ruadh sidhe] and Feebes86 for betaing and pre-reading._

* * *

><p>Quil and Ellen were chatting in bed one night. Candie had a late client.<p>

"I don't know," said Quil, lying flat on his back with his hands folded behind his head. "Everyone is so tense. Poor Candie is busy giving them deep body massages and heat treatments. She's real tired lately and she had to cut her nails."

"We'll look after her when she gets home. People are tense. It's Armageddon," Ellen said as she moved to sit on Quil's hips.

"Arma -whaddon?"

"End of the world stuff."

"Nah."

Ellen grinned at him. Quil was unsinkable. He believed that it would all work out and he felt that if he believed it hard enough, it _would_ all work out.

"Okay, my super confident wolf man, why do you think we will survive?"

Quil frowned. "Ten high quality wolves-" He stopped suddenly, concerned that Ellen as a newer wolf wasn't included in that group. "No offense."

"None taken."

"You're quality in a different way," he assured her.

She laughed. "Sweet talker. Go on."

"Let's call them ten awesomely well trained wolves. I can't even add up how many vampires we have taken down over the years. Maybe twenty from the last Bella battle."

"Bella battle? I like it."

"Plus a few nomads here and there. And that super Volturi tracker dude. We are hot shit!"

"I'll pay that. Agreed."

"Plus, we have … what… sixteen new wolves? Like you," He kissed her quickly. "Who have their own super skills and bring age and maturity."

She raised an eyebrow. "And magic. Like Josh."

"And magic. Plus, Rachel phased as well and we have the yellow eyed helpers."

"The Cullens. Yes, I love Emmett. Flirt with him and he flirts right back."

Quil frowned at her.

"Oooh. And we have Bella with her shield ability," she added.

"Right. So these ventolin-"

"Volturi," she corrected, for about the hundredth time.

"Vulture guys have been living the cushy, bully life. Their rep scares people. I reckon they haven't had a good fight in centuries."

She gave him an appraising look. "That makes sense. I hope you are right."

He held her at the hips and pushed her down onto him. "Coz you're on a good thing."

"Yes… I am," she cooed at him. "Should we wait for Candie?"

"I'll be good to go again by the time she gets here, and if she arrives half way through, she'll just join in."

Ellen kissed him.

* * *

><p><strong>[Trigger warning: girls fighting]<strong>

The voice droned on. Half the pack was not listening. Jake had a weary look on his face.

"Is this pack business, Rachel?" Leah interrupted.

"What? Ah… well, no."

"Then, shut up, and get back to your place."

"Excuse me?" Rachel looked annoyed.

The pack all got very wary; a tensing of muscles and an awareness that something was about to happen.

Rachel stalked into Leah's space. "What did you say to me?"

Jake emitted a small sigh. This had been building up for a long time.

"Something wrong with your hearing? I said. _Shut the fuck up_." Leah's jaw was gritted so tightly it was a wonder she could get the words out, but the implied menace was obvious to everyone it seemed, except Rachel.

"What is wrong with _you_?" Rachel's whole body language indicated that she wasn't scared of Leah. Or respectful.

"I know my place in the pack and clearly you don't. So be a good pack member, go sit down, shut up and stop picking shit fights with _everyone_."

"I don't do that."

"You do. We are all tired of it. And lay off Billy. You make his life Hell."

Rachel got a glint in her eye. 'Oh-ho so that's what this is about… your imprint."

"Oh, fuck," said Seth, as he put a hand over his eyes. "I can't watch."

Jake closed his eyes. Rachel really should know better than to target an imprint.

"He's not just my imprint, he's a pack alpha and the tribal leader and you will pay him a little more respect."

"Paul… stop her," Jared said.

Rachel looked pleased, as if Paul would stop Leah baiting her, but then she saw that Jared was talking about _her_, not Leah and that made her annoyed.

Paul shrugged. "Rachel picked this fight. She's big enough to look after herself, Jared."

Jared looked as if he couldn't believe Paul would let her do this. He pushed at Paul, who evaded him easily. "She's your imprint!"

"Jared, she's not _just_ an imprint. She's a wolf and right now she plays by wolf rules. She has been picking fights and disrespecting the pack female for weeks." He pointed at Jake. "If you did that to Jake, tell me, what would he do to you?"

Jared glanced at Jake. "He'd probably beat the shit out of me."

"Right. Although you are smart enough not to rival him in the first place."

Rachel spun in place to attack Paul. "Are you saying I'm not smart?"

Paul rolled his eyes. "Not right now, you're not."

"I've got a —"

"Mention the college degree and we all know how stupid that would be."

Leah hadn't got to attend college and she still smarted over it.

Rachel's mouth snapped shut.

"You are in a pack meeting," Paul tried to explain to his partner. "Picking a fight with the pack female and if you don't sit down and shut up you will get your ass handed to you on a plate."

"You'd protect me."

Paul snorted and gave her a look that managed to say that she was utterly on her own. "You don't need protecting. You want to be pack female, you can fight for it. _Alone_. That's how battles for rank go. And you should know that."

"You don't get the position because your father is the Chief," Brady said.

"Leah can fight; she earned that rank," said Embry. "You'll have to take it off her."

Collin shivered. "She's fucking scary."

"And fast," said Quil.

Sam spoke quietly, "Apologize, Rachel."

"And _mean_ it," said Seth.

But Rachel wasn't listening. She didn't look contrite and she didn't look sorry.

The pack all subtly moved away from her. She didn't notice.

"I don't see why-"

Leah punched her in the jaw and Rachel went down. When she tried to get up, the dominant female leaned over her and grabbed a handful of her hair. She forced her face into the ground, the same way she would have done as a wolf to show dominance. "Challenge me again and I will hurt you." She shook her like a kitten.

"I'm sorry," Rachel said, blinking back tears.

"Apology accepted." She let her go. Rachel curled up with her hands over her face. "You need to cut your hair or tie it up, it's a weakness in a battle and you don't know when you have to phase human. And start pulling your weight in the fighting. Do NOT expect Paul to back you up. You're a wolf; you fight."

Jake snorted. "I'd noticed that. Sorry I didn't say anything, Leah."

"Yeah."

"I'll try," Rachel said.

"And lay off Paul as well," Leah added. "Fuck knows, the only reason he puts up with your shit is because you are imprinted. He's not the easiest person to get along with. But damn, girl, if you don't make it harder for him."

"I don't."

The whole pack glared at her.

"Yeah, you do, Rach," Jake said.

"Imprinted wolves that fight? Bella noticed it day one," Embry said.

"He's a good guy. He even does his own laundry," Quil piped up.

The pack all gave him an odd look.

"You are on a good thing and you are all kinds of stupid if you don't get that," Leah said.

Paul was looking at Leah with a wondering look on his face. She nodded at him.

"Okay," she said. "Let's get back to pack business."

Still looking at Leah, Paul reached a hand down to Rachel. She took it and he hauled her to her feet, wiped the tears off her face and tucked her in behind him. She put her arms around his waist and buried her face in his back. He patted the top of her hands.

The pack all took a breath.

* * *

><p>The bracelet started to burn a hole in Bella's pocket. She had to get rid of it. She worried about losing it, even though she had left it in a cardboard box for months. She decided that there was only one person to ask.<p>

The burly vampire was sparring with the Forties. Two wolves attacked him and there was a loud crack noise as he hit the ground.

"I'm okay," Emmett called out. "But let's take a ten minute break."

"Are you okay?" Bella asked as she approached him.

"Hey, Swan girl. I will be in a minute."

"You are a sensible man, right, Emmett?"

"Right. And?"

"You must have bought Rosalie lots of jewelry over the years, right?"

He laughed. "Yes I have."

"So if I wanted to sell a diamond and get the best price for it—"

"I might have a contact."

"I knew it."

"What diamond?"

She dug in her pocket and pulled out Jake's silver chain bracelet with a heart shaped pendant and a small wooden wolf.

"Oh, _that_ diamond."

"In my defense, I didn't know it was a diamond. In fact, as I recall he promised me it was a hand me down and not expensive."

"Yeah."

"More lies."

"He wanted you to have it." Emmett studied her. "He said you had issues with jewelry. He knew you wouldn't take it if you thought it was expensive. "

"Like that stupid car."

"The Mercedes Guard? Now that was expensive."

"How much?"

"He never did discuss prices with you, did he?"

"No. Never."

"The car cost $500,000 to buy but he borrowed that one from someone. They are very rare and one wasn't for sale at the time."

She had her eyes closed. "Half a million." She shook her head. "And I couldn't even drive it without stalling." She took a breath. "Oh, that night we voted on my mortality. Edward broke something in the other room."

Emmett watched her carefully. "I remember."

"What was it?"

"My new flat screen television. Large size."

"In 2005? That must have cost a fortune."

"Yep. I was pretty shitty about that for a while."

"So back to the diamond."

"Are you sure you want to sell it?"

"It's not me and the tribe needs the money."

"You don't have to pay them compensation."

"I'm not; it's the right thing to do." She took the heart shaped stone off the chain and dropped it into his palm.

"Spend it on yourself."

"Spoken like a true hedonist. On what? I don't need anything."

"You don't have a house or a car."

"Not even a flat screen television. I've got Josh," she said with dignity.

He grinned at her. "Seriously? You're gonna say that line?"

"Tease me all you like, Emmett, it's true."

"He's your home?"

"He is."

"Not anything… oh. Books!" he said triumphantly. "You love books. Don't you want a house full of those?"

"I would like some folio hardback editions."

"So there. You'll need a shelf and wall to put the shelf against, and a roof to stop them getting wet."

"Don't change the subject. How much is this hunk of glass worth?" She held it up in front of his face.

"Well, that's about a ten carat stone… unusual shape and clarity is good and at current values of around $40k a carat… you've got—"

"Fuck me! Four hundred thousand?" she hissed it at him.

"Yep. Maybe more."

"I can't sell it. I have to give it back to him." She looked utterly panicked.

"Look, Swan, he hung it on that flimsy little chain, certain that it would fall off in the forest somewhere or at school. He took the risk. The fact that you still have it is awesome. If he chose not to tell you what it was worth, then he wrote it off years ago."

She still had that flimsy chain in her hand. "He told me it was a crystal." She sounded pathetic. Why did she ever believe him? Why didn't she check? Back then, she had believed everything Edward told her.

Emmett seemed to understand. "He should have left it alone. He had you; he knew you were going to choose him. Jake was no competition. Not then."

She held the wooden wolf in her hand, her fingers rubbing the smooth wood. "Yeah. I loved Jake, but he was so young. He couldn't really compete with Edward."

"He hated that Jake made something for you and you loved it."

"Hand-made has a special significance."

"He's just lucky you didn't meet Josh back then. You would have dumped my brother in a heartbeat."

She wasn't sure what to say to that. Josh would not have been interested in the old Bella Swan. She was fairly sure of that. "He does get that I am not his. I've told him, Josh has told him—"

"I've told him," Emmett added. "The heart wants…"

Bella sighed. "Okay. Sell it. The tribe needs the money, for food."

"I'll let you know what the sale price is."

"No. Don't tell me how much. Just put the money in the tribal accounts. You know the bank account number?"

"I think Esme does."

She hugged him. "Thanks Emmett."

* * *

><p>[AN: I estimate that the stone would have to be at least ten carats to hang by itself.<p>

I am going to try and do the National novel writing month. You have to write 50k words in November. Problem is, this story has gone way off plan and I am writing each update the day before I post it. So daily updates may suffer. I did write 50k easily last month, but can I do both? We shall see. Feel free to friend me if you are doing it. I am registered under mrstrentreznor - my real name and any initials or short versions are all spam sources. Uh-huh]


	57. Chapter 57

**Chapter 57 - I'll be home for Christmas**

_Disclaimer: the characters and all recognisable situations belong to Stephenie Meyer - this is a work of fan fiction, except for the legends and histories of the Quileute that, of course, belong to them. I pay my respects to their gods._

_Thanks to BanSidhe [ruadh sidhe] and Feebes86 for betaing and pre-reading._

* * *

><p>Josh knew when Sam was on patrol and made sure he was at his house. He watched Allison leave with the kids and was glad he had just missed her, too. Things had been so strained between him and Sam it made his heart hurt. He needed to talk to Emily alone and when he knocked on the door, she didn't look surprised to see him.<p>

"I'm sorry to interrupt your kid free time," he apologized.

"I'm just surprised that Bella didn't come with you."

"She wanted to, I said I wanted to do this alone."

"Come in and sit down. You know I like to get my feet up."

"How many weeks left?"

"I'm not sure because my babies are often late. They don't want to come out." She patted her stomach. "Can't say that I blame them, but according to the calendar and the doctor we have two more weeks."

Josh nodded and stared at the carpet. He rubbed the back of his neck with one hand and huffed out a breath.

"Just tell me," Emily said.

"I don't want to upset you."

"I'm very placid right now."

"With the baby coming so soon."

"Honestly Nate could be setting the house on fire and I would say 'not now, honey'." She patted his hand. "Just tell me."

He explained to her what had happened during the mind share with his sons.

She watched him as he spoke, blinked quickly at one stage and then just looked worried. "Thank you for being honest. Sam was very upset when he got home. Has he been avoiding you?"

"Yes."

"He can't do that now; not with the Volturi coming."

"It's not ideal."

"What else did you need to say?"

He smiled ruefully. "Leah has a theory…" He told her about the scar kissing theory.

Emily's hand rose to her face and traced down the marks; still so livid and ugly on her beautiful face.

"He does… doesn't he?" She stared at nothing; lost in thought. "I would never have thought to tell him not to, Leah's right."

"I think Sam is still carrying a lot of hurt. I want to help him and to help you."

"I made him do the mind share."

"That's what Izzy thought, too. I know you want to help him and we need to do this before the baby arrives."

"I can talk to him."

"He's not upset with you?"

"Me? Gosh, no."

"Will he let me try some shaman stuff again, or has he sworn off it?"

"He believes in the tribal magic. I know he does." She looked at Josh's worried face. "We can fix this, Josh. You know he believes it because he helped make your shaman stick."

"Yes. It has his blood on it."

"So bring it, too. Tonight. After the kids are asleep. I will call you."

"You want to do it here?"

"Of course. He feels safest here."

It struck Josh that Emily wanted to do this ceremony for Sam; not for herself.

"You're a special person, Emily."

"Your son is…" she stopped, lost for words. "I would wish it had happened another way, and that Leah and I had not been so hurt. But he was a gift from the gods for me."

"That's all Allison. I can't take any credit. I even saw that in his past. She raised him right."

"You are lucky enough to get another chance with Bella."

"Yes, Allison pointed that out. It's not fair that she doesn't get the same chance."

"You are not at fault for biology, Josh."

He chuckled. "No." He kissed her forehead. "I'll see you tonight."

* * *

><p>When Bella got home, Josh was sitting cross legged, back straight, his eyes closed. Meditating. He looked peaceful, his breathing even and his whole body at rest. He had his paraphernalia all laid out on the floor beside him; the smudger (the fan wing of feathers), bunches of sage and cedar leaves, some candles, a spray bottle of something that looked like water, and his spirit stick. His phone also lay on the floor next to him.<p>

"Hey," he said without opening his eyes.

"Is it tonight? The ceremony?"

"Yes. Just waiting for Emily to call."

"Can I come?"

"Not tonight."

"Okay."

She watched him for another minute or so. "Can I kiss you?"

"Yes. Why do you ask?"

"I thought I might ruin your balance or something."

He smiled and tilted his face up to her. "You can always kiss me."

She bent down and brushed her lips gently across his.

He sighed. "That's not fair."

She chuckled.

"Now I want to tumble you into bed." His hand reached up and held her at the back of her leg. The phone buzzed. "Saved."

"I'll be here when you get back, and I'll probably be in bed," she hinted.

"You can go out if you want. You don't have to wait."

"I feel so worn out, that just curling up with a favorite book sounds like a great way to relax."

"Your way of centering yourself."

"Yes." She kissed him again. "I know it will work. I know you will help them."

* * *

><p>Sam let him in. They nodded at each other awkwardly.<p>

Josh thought it was better not to say anything, so he kept silent. He noticed that they had cleared a large space in the center of the living room.

"I didn't know how much room we will need," Emily said. "I certainly won't be dancing around any camp fires."

"No dancing," he said.

He put the candles down and lit them.

Emily turned the lights off. "Where do you want us?"

"I just want you to sit on the floor. On Sam's lap."

"Oh, no," she said. "I can't get down."

Sam scooped her up, she made a small surprised noise, and then he just sat down where Josh indicated with a wave of his hand.

Sam arranged Emily on his lap. He sat cross legged as Josh had done earlier.

"You can hold her."

"Hang on." Emily shifted a little to get more comfortable.

Josh watched how Sam watched his imprint. "Sam, put your face on her shoulder." Sam went where Josh guided him. It was the opposite side from the scars. Sam couldn't see them.

He held out his spirit stick and they held it with both hands. He looked at the four hands on it and got a memory flash of his and Bella's hands held the same way, the night they had sex in the forest. Love and sex.

He pushed the stick back a little until it touched Emily's stomach. "For the baby." Love, sex and babies.

He smiled at them. He didn't bother asking if Sam could hold the stick at the odd angle; he knew he could.

Sam eyes watched warily. He didn't look suspicious, but he didn't look confident either. This was going to be hard.

Turning away to light the sage bundle, Josh allowed himself a moment's doubt and then he thought of Bella and her quiet confidence in him. With eyes closed, he waved the bundle in front of them and blew the smoke towards them. He drew the bundle down and away from them before giving it a little shake. The down movement collected the negative energy and when he shook it, it threw the negative energy away. He repeated the actions a couple of times.

He felt that tingling on his skin that told him it was working.

Emily shivered, so he knew she felt it, too.

He was trying to reach Sam's spirit animal; his wolf. He tried a couple of things, and it just wasn't there. That was odd; he _knew_ it was there. Something was blocking it.

He sprayed them with the water. It contained a distilled essence of flowers. Sam's nose wrinkled at the strong scent.

Josh muttered a few words but he still couldn't get the wolf to show. He tried to think over the shared memories.

In a flash, he understood the issue.

"Sam? Have you ever phased in front of Emily?"

He shook his head.

"She's never seen your wolf?"

"Just the once," he said bitterly.

Just the once, when it was too close to his imprint. The poor wolf had hurt Emily and never been allowed to apologize.

"Do you feel safe, Emily?"

"Yes."

"Would you feel safe if Sam phased?"

She hesitated, but then she said, "No." Her voice was tiny.

"You don't go to pack meetings?"

"No."

"You've never seen Sam phase?"

"No."

"Stop it!" Sam hissed at him.

"Emily hasn't seen the wolf since that night?"

Sam glared at him. "No. Of course not."

"Why? He didn't do it deliberately. It was an accident."

"I-I d-don't trust him," Sam chewed out the words.

"Oh, Sam. He's your wolf. She's his imprint, too."

"I never thought of that," said Emily.

"He's part of Sam, too," Josh added.

"I know… it just… scares me."

"Izzy loves my wolf."

Sam snorted. "She would - she loved Jake's."

"Kaylee plays with wolf Seth."

"She does?" Emily's face looked astonished.

There was silence for a beat.

"Emily, do you trust me?" Josh asked.

She looked as if she wanted to glance at Sam, but didn't. "Yes."

"I will make sure that nothing happens to hurt you - but there might be some tears."

"That's okay. I cry over everything at the moment."

"Sam. You need to phase."

"No."

"It's the solution."

"NO!"

"I can make you do it."

"With Emily on my lap? NO!"

Josh met Emily's eyes. They looked worried but she blinked very slowly. It was a 'yes'. Josh knew it was. He grabbed Emily's forearms and yanked her out of Sam's lap. The spirit stick dropped to the floor, Sam didn't grab her body, concerned about the baby. Josh pushed Emily behind him, he put his foot on the end of the spirit stick and flipped it up in the air to catch it.

Sam let out a growl of indignation. He was already on his feet. But Josh was too close to Emily and he wouldn't attack him.

Still backing away from Sam, Josh pointed the stick at him. He pushed Emily into the corner of the room where she would feel safe and stood in front of her. "PHASE!" It was an order.

Sam shook it off. He knocked one of the candles over and wax spilled on the floor.

"PHASE!" Josh dragged the wolf out of Sam by the scruff of its neck; kicking and fighting him. His body braced in front of Emily. "I'm sorry it had to be like this," he said to her. "But I _know_ this is the issue."

The tearing sound was too loud in the small room. The black wolf was silent when it appeared as if knew not to howl and frighten the children asleep in their beds. Its front legs were held far apart and its body low. The ears flat along the head. It was in defensive mode. It trembled.

Emily quivered behind him. Her hands clenched in the back of his shirt. She made a small hurt noise; a whimper.

The head swung suddenly towards her. It sniffed the air. Its tail made a tiny movement; a wag.

"Look, Emily."

The ears lifted. The head shifted to try and peer around Josh.

"Look," Josh repeated. "He's sorry he hurt you. It was years ago and he's never been able to say sorry."

"I'm scared, Josh."

"It's okay. He's not going to hurt you. It was an accident last time." Josh reached down and put his arm around her, shifting his body so that she could see the wolf.

"It's huge," she exclaimed.

They stood there; each hesitant to move. And then the wolf lowered its head to the floor.

"Oh," said Emily. "Actual puppy dog eyes." She put her hand over her mouth. Tears ran down her face.

Josh chuckled. "Yes. But I am not going to let go of you in case he bites me for hurting you."

The black wolf lifted its top lip.

"See." He shifted to stand next to Emily. "Are you okay? Do you need to sit down?"

"I-I don't know."

"Good answer." He tugged her a little forward, out of the corner. "Now let's say hello."

She held her hand out, and the wolf bumped it with his nose. She smiled and glanced up at Josh. The wolf licked her hand. "Ewww."

She patted it carefully and brushed down its flank.

Josh watched for some time while she and the wolf got to know each other. "I think Sam was so worried about the wolf hurting you again, that he held it in check somehow. Every single time he phased, he has held it on a very tight leash. I am amazed that he accomplished as much as he did."

"I need to sit down."

Josh helped her to the sofa, pushed up against the wall for more space. She sat and the wolf lay its head next to her. Josh started to collect his things. The danger was past.

He went to the bathroom and when he got back, Sam was sitting at Emily's feet.

"That hurt," he growled at Josh.

"You did well not to wake the kids."

"Touch Emily like that again, and I'll kill you."

"It worked," Emily said.

"He was guessing," Sam accused.

"I had a nightmare," Josh explained. "Replayed everything you had shown me. Izzy was dreaming with me and she used her shield to cut out the emotions. Once I could see it, without feeling it, I got an idea of what the problem might be."

Sam had his eyes closed as Emily brushed through his hair with her hand. He sounded almost conversational. "I wanted to treat my women better - not the way you had done. You were the liar and the cheat, not me. I was going to be anti-you and I hurt Leah and scarred Emily for life. I couldn't deal with that. I was worse than you, you'd never hit Mom."

Josh and Emily remained silent. This was Sam's confession.

"I was the first wolf. I was important. I was the alpha. The younger ones looked up to me. I watched over each of them before they phased. Tried to make it better for them.

I found Bella when she was lost. I killed Victoria's friend who was going to eat her. I let Leah go - it hurt, but I thought I might imprint and I didn't want her betrayed like that. I couldn't tell her the truth."

He took a breath. "And then you came back. It was real obvious that you'd changed. And then you became a wolf and that was something that I was. I was different from you. I _was_ an alpha, and now I'm not and you kind of _are_. You were now the tribe's best hope; not a deadbeat loser. Everything I had that made me special; is gone."

Silence.

Josh spoke, "You're still special, Sam. And it's nothing to do with me. You're special because Emily loves you."

He collected his things and he left, sure that the sore had been lanced and now the healing could begin.


	58. Chapter 58

**Chapter 58 - I'll be home for Christmas**

_Disclaimer: the characters and all recognisable situations belong to Stephenie Meyer - this is a work of fan fiction, except for the legends and histories of the Quileute that, of course, belong to them. I pay my respects to their gods._

_Thanks to BanSidhe [ruadh sidhe] and Feebes86 for betaing and pre-reading._

* * *

><p>[Warning: safe sex always children. I keep forgetting my warnings. Bad writer mtr.]<p>

When Josh got home, Bella took one look at him and started running a bath.

"Baths are your thing," he said.

"Baths are good because you can soak and relax and as a bonus you feel clean after-wards. Wash all the shit away… and if you are very lucky, I might join you."

"Oooh… really?"

"What else do you need?"

"Peace."

"Okay." She left him alone. She sat on the toilet with the lid down and read her book, trailing her hand in the bathwater until it was full.

Josh was meditating again, but she noticed there was a tightness to his shoulders that hadn't been there before. He could hear that she had turned the water off, and an occasional drip demonstrated the bath was full, so she didn't think she needed to tell him it was ready.

He emitted a heavy sigh, before climbing agilely to his feet and heading for the bathroom.

She was dying to ask him what had happened. Whatever it was, it had flattened him. But he had asked for peace and she could give him that. She knew it hadn't gone badly wrong because there hadn't been any panicked wolf howls. She just had to assume that whatever had happened had been emotional rather than physical.

She read for a little while before lighting a candle and taking it into the bathroom. Placing it carefully on the windowsill she turned the main light off. She sat on the toilet again and watched him.

It took him a long time to start talking. "Sam was… hurt," he started.

She waited.

He told her everything.

"Do you think it's imprinting?" she asked.

"How do you mean?"

"If a guy had hurt any other woman like that… would we make them be together?"

"No."

"It seems especially cruel. It's only that Emily is such an exceptional person, that it has even worked out as well as it has."

"So, I've fixed one relationship and broken another."

"Sam's angry and hurt and he lashed out at you."

Josh made a skeptical face.

"And he said it. It's out. He got the words out and that's the start of realizing what the issue is. And if I know Sam, he'll apologize soon."

"Not until any marks on Emily's arms fade." He gave her a rascally look. "Wanna come in the tub so I can leave my marks on you?"

"Is the water cold? Oh… marks." She pointed a finger at him. "Tell me about marking?"

"Where did you hear about that?"

"In the hall. Someone was talking about it."

"It's an old thing; way old. Back to the days when body scars meant something."

"Like warriors would have ritual scars."

"Yeah." He raised an eyebrow. "I'm impressed."

"I've seen a documentary… once."

He smiled. "So a wolf may mark his mate."

"Like… bite them? Hard enough to scar their skin?"

"Yes."

"Where?"

"On the side or the back of the neck."

She stared at him. "Fuck, no."

He chuckled. "Aw, don't you want enormous teeth marks on your pretty little neck?"

"I repeat. Fuck! NO! Imagine having to explain that? For a start, Charlie would just shoot you. And are you doing this biting in wolf form or human form? If it's wolf form I'd look like Emily; mauled by a bear. And if it is human how am I going to explain that one. Oh, it's okay honey. Daddy loves me enough to nearly bite my head off. And I would not be able to wear any low-cut dresses… Oh, what a lovely necklace. EEK is that a bite mark? That is one tradition we are not bringing back."

He had the oddest look on his face.

"What?" she demanded.

"I love you, Izzy."

She stopped. "Just as well, I suppose I just rejected your wolf."

"Nah. He's okay. He'll just find somewhere else to bite you."

Her eyes narrowed. "You're joking… aren't you?"

He just stood and let the water drain from his body.

"Josh?"

He climbed out of the bath, grabbed a towel and headed for the bedroom, drying himself as he went.

"Josh? Joking? Right?" She hurried after him.

He grabbed her and threw her onto the bed. She landed with an undignified squeak. When she tried to clamber off, he growled at her.

She froze.

"Sorry… he's really close to the surface." Josh shook his head as if he was trying to clear it. "It was dragging Sam out to phase; it felt to the wolf like a fight for dominance."

"So he _wants_ to bite something, right about now."

"Yeah… and there you are all tasty and smelling so good." He looked down at her with a hungry look on his face.

She blinked at him. "You can't mark me without my permission."

"I know… but we can nibble on you all we want."

She noticed the plural. We.

He stared at her, not letting her break the gaze while he started to undress her.

"So where do we start?" he asked. His voice had gone low and throaty.

Her mouth had gone dry. He was the tiniest bit frightening like this and she hadn't known until right that minute, that it excited her.

She could barely move her limbs to help him, she felt languid and half asleep, as if she had just had the relaxing bath.

Almost too quickly for her to process, she was naked.

"Izzy?" He picked up her hand and lifted it to his mouth. "Here?" Dark eyes focused on her, he slipped her finger inside his mouth. So hot. She inhaled sharply. He sucked at her finger and then she felt the smallest pressure of teeth. His eyes asked the question.

She shook her head.

Her finger was released. He licked up the back of it. Traveling over the back of her hand, around and down to her wrist. He held the soft inside of her wrist in both hands across his mouth. "Here?"

If he bit her there, he'd kill her. She blinked and shook her head. Wordless. She could not speak.

He licked hard against the pumping pulse in her wrist.

She made a small noise that sounded mostly like a whimper.

He traveled further up her arm. She could feel his heated fingers holding her arm tightly. Not tight enough to bruise, but she could almost feel the pulse in his fingertips. He was at the inside of her elbow. "Here?" he mumbled against her flesh.

Another head shake. Here he gently bit at the fleshy part of her arm.

She yelped.

He froze.

"I'm all right," she gasped out. "You just shocked me."

He inhaled. She knew her scent would change if she was genuinely hurt; so he checked, before resuming the path up her arm.

She moaned when he buried his face in her armpit. "Nooo," she gasped out.

He moved on. He was on all fours above her. Another display of dominance from the wolf. He moved down her ribs to her waist. She squirmed; just this side of ticklish. Her breasts ached and she was half annoyed that he had bypassed them. She wanted his mouth locked over her aching nipples. She tried to touch them herself but he shifted her hands away. She moaned in protest.

"Here?" he asked just before his teeth closed over a flap of skin on her waist.

"No." She writhed away from him.

The top of her hip.

"No," she squealed.

He traveled all the way down to her foot.

"Oh, Jesus, Josh."

He had her toes in his mouth. She had never thought that toes could be sexy. A nibble at the inside of her instep. "Gah," she said.

Her calf. "No."

The back of her knee nearly made her orgasm. She was panting.

Nibbling at the inside of her thigh made her try to close her legs around his head.

He flipped her over and took part of her buttock into his mouth. His teeth pressing into the meat. She wailed.

"Please, Josh… please."

He released her flesh before kissing that spot in apology. "What do you want, Izzy?"

"Bite me …bite me anywhere you like."

"You don't mean that."

"I do… I really do," she wailed.

He rubbed his cheeks against the meat of her ass and he made happy wolf noises as he did it; a kind of huffing sound. But he didn't bite her, even though she half expected him to. One of his hands slid underneath her and stroked through her saturated folds. He rubbed his face on her flesh all the way from her ass to her neck. And she writhed and moaned under him. Face down. He wouldn't let her roll over. He lay on top of her; his whole weight pressing her down into the mattress. She couldn't get enough air in her lungs. His hand between her legs, his cock nestled in-between her buttocks, resting on his elbow with his other hand under her jaw and his teeth around her ear lobe. She could hear herself panting. She sounded so desperate. "Fuck me," she pleaded.

She arched her back, pressing her ass up against him.

He took the invitation. He raised his body up to his knees and hauled her after him. He did it so quickly that her face dragged along the bed. He put his hands under her thighs and lifted her up. She was struggling to get her arms up underneath her. He slid her up his thighs and just filled her in one hard thrust.

"Fuck," she shouted.

He held her firmly in place and he fucked her.

"Oh, yes."

He pistoned into her until she lost the power of speech. She could do nothing other than let him do it the way he wanted. She came so hard her vision faded at the edges. Her head was still hanging down lower than her body and she thought she was going to pass out. She shuddered and cried out. He kept going. His cock inside her and his finger brushing over her clitoris. When she came again, her cry sounded less human and more animalistic.

"That's my girl," he crooned to her. "You growl for me."

She groaned. She had completely forgotten that she could talk to him, mind to mind.

He pushed her down flat against the mattress and she took a couple of gasping breaths. Splayed and unable to move, he entered her again. This time he was less hurried as if the beast was safely caged and the man was back in full control. He rocked gently into her, until it wasn't enough and then he reached over her head and gripped at the headboard. She heard the wood squeak in his hands. Buried, covered, surrounded by him. He was all she could feel and all she could smell. Her face flat in the mattress as he withdrew from her and re-entered achingly slowly. She was moaning almost continuously now and she could not make herself stop.

"Josh," she moaned.

"I'm right here," he assured her.

"Oh, I know."

She was so far gone that she didn't notice when he finished. Still buried inside her, he shifted so that his upper body lay next to her and allowed her to breathe without his weight lying on her.

She turned her head so that she could see him.

They stared at each other for a little while.

She frowned. "That was … interesting."

He raised an eyebrow.

"I would have let you bite me."

"I know. But I didn't."

"Was that me or the imprint?"

"Or me?" He gave her a grin.

"Humph, you think you're hot …" She fell asleep mid-sentence.

He reached over and brushed her hair out of her face with a look closest to wonder on his face.


	59. Chapter 59

**Chapter 59 - I'll be home for Christmas**

_Disclaimer: the characters and all recognisable situations belong to Stephenie Meyer - this is a work of fan fiction, except for the legends and histories of the Quileute that, of course, belong to them. I pay my respects to their gods._

_Thanks to BanSidhe [ruadh sidhe] and Feebes86 for betaing and pre-reading._

* * *

><p>It was now the second week in January. Bella remembered the 14th was Jake's birthday. She told Esme and she promised to make an enormous cake for him.<p>

"What kind of cake would he like?"

"Chocolate."

"Can I decorate it?"

"Do you know how?"

"I can study it." Esme adored watching cookery videos.

"Make him a truck cake."

"A red one!" Esme laughed.

"Perfect."

"Have you eaten?" Esme fussed.

"Not yet."

Handed a plate brimming with food, Bella made her thanks and headed out to one of the benches to eat. She noticed Emmett sitting alone so she parked herself next to him. "Hey," she said as she sat down.

"How's it going?" He glanced at her plate. "You will never eat all of that."

"I know. I will just feed it to some nearby wolf."

"Esme gave you a wolf serving size."

"She did."

"She loves it in the kitchen."

Bella looked around the room. Alice was chatting with Ellen about something.

"Makeup," Emmett supplied for her.

She pointed her fork at Jasper and Josh. They had their heads together over what looked like a map.

"Military strategy."

"Of course."

Carlisle and Edward were next.

"Medical stuff… using wolf blood to further human healing."

"I didn't know Edward knew about that stuff at the level Carlisle would be talking about."

"He did a medical degree once or twice."

She wondered why he didn't practice medicine like his father. Why the endless high school degrees?

"Huh," she said.

"What?"

"You've all just… fitted in."

Emmett glanced around. "We have, too. It's all the training sessions; the wolves have got very used to us."

"Just one missing. Where's Rose?"

"Don't tell Esme, but she's as happy as a clam in the grease pit of Jake's garage."

"I had forgotten that she loved messing about with cars."

"He had some vehicles that he hadn't finished working on. She wanted to help."

"So Esme doesn't approve?"

"She just thinks it is not very ladylike."

Rose had told her how the history of how she became a vampire, and a small amount of her life before that night. The horrific last night of her life as a human. "Is she okay, Emmett?"

"She's a little unnerved. Vampires are dead things. We don't change, we can't grow and," he looked around the hall, "everyone here is so full of life. And the women? They ooze fertility."

"Looking at the room, she got what he meant. "Oh, I see." Rose had told her that all she had ever wanted was a baby of her own. She glanced where Emmett was looking. It was the Black sisters who had caught his eye. The four of them were chatting animatedly. No wonder Billy was always so quietly spoken, he probably never got a word in. One laughed and they all chuckled. They glowed. They had been impressive looking women before, but now they had all phased they had an extra energy. Maybe Emmett was right. Fertile and full of life.

She noticed Edward get up and go to sit next to Quil. She wondered idly what that was about.

Emmett nudged her gently. "Like you," he said.

"Wait? What?"

"Life. Look at you. You look well loved."

"Do I reek of it?" she asked him. "Josh loves me very well."

The vampire roared with laughter.

* * *

><p>A constant memory was in people's thoughts around Edward. It was of Quil announcing in the tribal meeting that this whole mess was Edward's fault. Edward didn't understand it, so he decided to just ask Quil.<p>

He asked permission to talk to him before sitting down.

Quil gave him an intrigued look. "Whassup?"

"You think this is my fault." The volume was low enough for a wolf to hear it, but not for anyone else to overhear.

"Yep." No dissembling from the straight forward wolf man. He adopted the same volume.

"Why?"

"Dude, you tried to kill yourself because the love of your life died. Not that she _was_ dead, in any case. But that's just… dumb. You would have felt like the biggest idiot if you managed to kill yourself and then found out she was still alive, eh?"

"I suppose that would be true," Edward conceded; not that he could see how he would have felt anything if he was already ash. But he knew what Quil meant. "I just couldn't live in a world that didn't have her in it."

"But she _was _in—"

"And I don't think you have any idea how I felt over her," he interrupted.

"Oh, really?" Quil pointed over to Ellen. "See Ellen… I'm her imprint. She's not mine 'coz I already had one. Don't you remember that adorable little girl, Claire? And just before all this shit hit the fan, my imprint b-broke."

The stammer on the last word was the only indication of any outward emotion from the burly man. But his mind was in massive conflict. His head was full of memories of the complete and utter adoration he had for that tiny Native American child that appeared in all the fragments of his memories. Watching her grow and adoring every step she took towards becoming an adult.

Jasper had told Edward, that imprints were similar to the love of bonded vampires, but Edward hadn't entirely understood. Now he saw it, and then he saw it break. She told Quil not to come back and the imprint shattered.

Devastated was not enough to describe how Quil had felt. Remembering it now, made him press his hand flat over his heart as if it caused him actual pain.

Ellen glanced at him as if she knew something was wrong but then got distracted when Candie came into the hall.

"She said it was over. She lives in Neah Bay with her parents and I had traveled up to see her; make sure she was safe. Wouldn't accept anything they said on the phone. Had to see her." He rubbed the back of his neck with his own hand in an effort to calm himself down. "I rode my motorbike over and on the way back… I was just… _numb_. I was wondering was it possible to hit a cliff hard enough to kill a fast healing werewolf if I took my helmet off… stuff like that, I was the lowest I think I have ever felt in my life … and then I saw a car with a flat tire. I was thinking that other people have bad days too, and that someone should help that person. And then I thought, hey, I'm a person. I should help them."

He glanced up to where Ellen was. She and Candie were talking. Candie was waving her hands around, clearly trying to tell Ellen something that she was very excited about. She looked alive and happy and Quil beamed at her. Ellen pulled her in close and sniffed up her neck.

"And it was Candie." He blinked quickly. His head full of happy images of her.

"She is not an imprint," Edward said.

"Nah… she's not. She's just her and she's awesome; don't discount her coz she looks cheap. And you couldn't get further from Claire if you tried, but she loves me. And maybe your Candie was just around the corner. And you were going to kill yourself? Dude, you didn't even mourn Bella's supposed death… just ran straight off to Italy."

"I had already mourned her for months," the vampire said stiffly. "I left her here to save her."

"Jeez… you didn't see her at this end. And while we are talking… why did you do that?"

"Pardon?" This conversation was not going the way that Edward had imagined it would.

"You dumped her, you told her it was all her fault… I mean, I get that you wanted her to live… and be human and all that. So why were you mourning her? She was doing what you wanted. You should have been happy. But why couldn't you tell her that you still loved her? That you left so that she could live her life as a human. Wasn't that what you wanted? She would have taken that breakup a whole lot better. And then you get all hissy 'coz she tries to kill herself before trying to do the same. Double standard? Much. Which by the way, wasn't the first time she almost killed herself— "

Edward was frozen, scouring Quil's head for memories of Bella from that time. He found them. Most of the memories clearly came from Jake via the wolf mind and Edward had some from Charlie: her lost in the forest and nearly dying from hypothermia before Sam found her, four months of catatonia, screaming in her sleep, riding motorbikes with Jake, constant trips to the ER, standing in a cleared space talking to Laurent as he announced that he was going to kill her, Jake pounding on her chest after he had pulled her half dead from the surf. But a few were Quil's and they were all tinged with worry about how sick she looked.

Quil showed him everything.

"— and then you go to Italy and show her to the only guy on the freaking planet who can read every memory you have ever had! And that just puts _her_ and your family and the wolves, front and center in the creepy vamp mind. The creepy vampire that you _know_ collects interesting people and kills werewolves. Thanks a lot. I know you came back and it was all supposed to better, but it really wasn't. That's the start of the cracks that opened up later."

"She forgave me," Edward pleaded.

"Sure, sure… but then she changed. And you didn't." Quil gave him a look. "And if Aro had granted your wish and killed you… where would that have left your family? They would have come for them eventually and you wouldn't be there to help protect them."

He pointed at his two women. "And family is _everything_." Candie was bouncing in her excitement now.

"Quil?" Ellen called out.

"Ellen?" He smacked Edward on the shoulder and hurried over to his women.

"Quilly… we're gonna have a baby," Candie gushed.

"Awesome!" Quil picked her up and swung her around. "That's why you've been so tired."

He swept Ellen into the embrace as well. The three were laughing and ecstatic and everyone else started to congratulate them.

* * *

><p>Edward watched Bella hug Candie and knew that she really had changed. The thought of a baby would have horrified her years ago, and now she was genuinely happy for someone else. Alice hurried over to him when she saw the look on his face.<p>

"Did you see any images of Bella during the time when I was in South America? Before Italy?" he asked her.

"Some… the wolves blocked a few." She showed him a vision of the night when Bella approached a strange biker outside of a bar, with her friend Jessica Stanley, looking at her with abject horror on her face. Made worse by the fact that Bella seemed to be talking to herself or something that nobody else could see.

"Why didn't you tell me she was behaving like this?"

"You told us not to contact you."

"How did you hide these from me?"

His sister shrugged. "I have my ways. If they are older visions, they tend to get pushed to the back of my head."

They both looked at Bella, now. Josh had joined the group and she was looking up at her imprint with a look on her face that Edward couldn't identify.

"Yearning," Alice supplied.

"She wants a child." He said it as if it was a revelation.

"She wants _his_ child. He already told her that they would have one," Alice huffed. "Self-fulfilling."

Edward managed a strained chuckle. He had often thought that Alice's statements of 'I had a vision and you already love it' often had an element of self-fulfilment. "Really, Alice?"

"I do not know what you mean." She spun on her heel and danced off to be with Jasper. He'd love all this emotion.


	60. Chapter 60

**Chapter 60 - I'll be home for Christmas**

_Disclaimer: the characters and all recognisable situations belong to Stephenie Meyer - this is a work of fan fiction, except for the legends and histories of the Quileute that, of course, belong to them. I pay my respects to their gods._

_Thanks to BanSidhe [ruadh sidhe] and Feebes86 for betaing and pre-reading._

* * *

><p>The doubters who had spoken out against Josh at the tribal meeting started to accept him. He was unfailingly polite and patient with people new to phasing and wolf life. He'd go over things repeatedly or show them himself if he could. He could literally see what they thought of him and it didn't make a difference. He never showed them how it hurt him, but sometimes he would talk to Bella about it. She was his sounding board.<p>

"You are helping," she said.

"I am doing my best, and I know it's trite, but it's the best I can do."

"It's a difficult situation for everyone."

"I know." He sighed.

"How can I make you feel better?"

He laughed throatily. "I always feel better after sex."

"Wow. Now I am psychic, I knew you were going to say that."

"But we don't have much time."

"So, just a quick blow job, then?"

"Now you're talking my language, although you are still talking."

"I can change that."

* * *

><p>Lucas was so happy. The women teased him about getting some and he raved about his super dreamy Brady. His self confidence soared; he stopped blaming himself if things went wrong or didn't work out. Accidents happen, he'd say now. Brady was more confident as well.<p>

Brady might think he was the boss of Lucas in bed, but he definitely wasn't in the house. He had to put a coaster under his glass and a napkin on his lap and use the correct flatware. Lucas had better table manners than his mother.

And heaven help him if he put out the wrong color towels in the bathroom. They had to match. What was the point of buying a matching set if you didn't put out the whole set?

Being fussed over made something feel settled and concrete inside Brady - he utterly adored it.

Lucas was so demonstrative, that Brady could not hide that they were together even if he had wanted to. And he didn't. Lucas would touch him all the time; just casually bump him, or hold his hand, or brush down his arm or pat him low on the back and Brady loved it. When they managed to get time together to watch television, Lucas would pull parts of Brady towards him; pull his arm over against his, or drag his leg over his thigh, or put his feet up into his lap and absently rub them.

He'd keep touching him with one hand whilst waving the other around to talk. Brady smiled at how many gestures Lucas needed to use to communicate. And the more excitable he got, the bigger the gestures got.

In return, Brady scratched through his hair with his fingers, kissed Lucas on the tip of the nose, and made him nuts when he was trying to cook and Brady would wrap his arms around his waist and nuzzle at his neck.

Two wolves needed no extra bedding, no matter what the temperature was outside. Lucas even slept neatly. It amused Brady. He knew that he tended to sprawl; legs apart, arms splayed, the pillow often thrown off onto the floor.

But Lucas slept on his side. Always the left side. With his face at the edge of the bed, his legs together and his knees drawn up, his left hand under his head and his right hand would grip at the edge of the mattress as if to anchor his body in place. And he never seemed to move. It didn't matter what time Brady came in from patrol, if Lucas was asleep, he was always in the same position.

He joked that it was more bed for him to sleep on, and if he wanted to cuddle, he could just spoon up behind Lucas; slide his arm under his head or reach over his body and push his hand under the edge of the mattress so that Lucas was holding him and not the bed. If he wanted more, he'd drag him back towards him and press his thigh between his legs or reach around and grasp him gently; waking him up gasping for breath as Brady's hand worked at him and his lips pressed onto his neck.

It seemed like such a small thing, but the day he opened his eyes to find Lucas' nose buried in his shoulder and his arm wrapped around his waist, Brady wanted to sing or howl or make some noise of complete joy. Of course, he didn't do it, he didn't want to wake Lucas up. He lay there barely breathing and kissed his partner so soundly when he finally woke up, that Lucas was confused for a little while.

* * *

><p>Know thine enemy. Josh stood in front of the panels set up in the tribal hall. Each held a face, drawn in Alice's distinctive charcoal sketch style.<p>

Below that, a name and then a list of abilities and possible weaknesses. He spent every spare minute in here staring at them, not that he had that many spare minutes, and reading through them; over and over even though he already knew it all off by heart.

A door closed. He knew the scent; Jasper.

"I don't sleep, but what's your excuse?" the vampire asked.

A weak smile. "My head is full of battle plans and strategies… too many to see anymore."

Jasper nodded, then grabbed the side of a spare board and pulled it closer, cleaned it off with a few quick swipes. "Okay… we split the packs… obviously."

"Obviously."

"Leave them with their respective alphas. You liaise between them."

"Right."

He sketched out a few lines that Josh could see were the basic terrain.

"Wolves are… red."

Josh grabbed a marker. "Volturi… black. Make Izzy… yellow."

"And humans… green." Jasper added, as he grabbed the appropriate color white-board markers.

"Humans?"

Jasper glanced at him. "Have you met Charlie Swan? Just try and stop him being involved. Better to give him a task and let him do it."

"Huh." Josh paused. "That's it. That's the extra thing I couldn't see."

"Humans?"

"Yes. They will never expect that."

"No… and the insult." Jasper grinned evilly. The elitist Volturi, being attacked by the things they only considered as snacks? The insult would be shock enough.

"Right," said Josh, rubbing his hands.

They sketched, argued, wiped it clean and started again. This time putting the terrain in permanent marker.

Jasper said, "There are some vampire friends of Carlisle's who might be willing to help. We just need to ask them."

Josh shook his head. "He already offered and Billy told him, if they are the kind we would exterminate for stepping on our land, then they are not the kind whose help we need."

"True enough."

They stared at their diagrams.

"Who's the fastest wolf?" Jasper asked.

"I'm not sure… maybe Seth? Edward is the fastest vampire, correct?"

"You have a plan?"

"I think so… how about this…"

After some time, they thought they had it all sorted out.

"It'll work," Jasper stated.

"Yes, I think it will."

"Do you _know_ that?"

Josh snorted. "I am making myself crazy."

The vampire waited. He could feel Josh's anxiety.

"I have too many dreams, now. The floodgates have opened and I can barely tell what is reality or fantasy or the future or just a plain, ordinary dream. I keep scribbling notes down the second that I wake, before I forget anything, but then I am not getting enough sleep."

"And you're standing here—"

"— worrying, instead of sleeping," Josh finished for him.

"Go back to your cabin, and wrap yourself around your woman and tomorrow we will drill them and train them and just tell them the way it is."

"And it will work because we will tell them that is the way it is going to be."

"Yes."

"Thanks, Jasper."

"You're welcome."

* * *

><p>Esme was using one of their business numbers to order bulk food. The only thing she couldn't make was bread, it needed the warmth of her hands to get the yeast reaction going during kneading. But there was always a wolf person around with super warm hands who didn't mind helping her out. She'd chat to them and ask them about their lives and they all came to appreciate her endless concern for others.<p>

Alice was now less reliant on her visions to see and had to use her own eyes. She could see how much the tribe scrimped and saved and budgeted to live on their small annual incomes. As a human she had never been really poor as her family were middle class jewel traders, but she had been institutionalized; locked up in an insane asylum when her visions told her that her mother's tragic murder at the hands of a stranger had been a plan by her father to get rid of his wife.

She saw visions of relatives having accidents and when she tried to warn them, she was accused of witchcraft. She still couldn't see who had killed her mother, until later when a clearer revelation showed her father and the murderer planning to kill her. When she spoke out, her father was enraged. Years later, she had found that the date she died on her tombstone was the same day he had locked her away. She had lost everything.

Her visions led her to Jasper and she saw a new family in their combined future; the Cullens. The immense wealth of her new family had made her forget what it was like to go without things or to have to wait and save up your pennies to buy something you wanted. The immediacy of getting it had lost some of the cachet of having it.

The Cullen house had entire rooms devoted to clothing and Alice only ever let them wear something once.

Jasper knew she gave off waves of guilt when she opened her latest package of designer clothes. "I love designers, Jasper." Although the way she was looking at the clothes didn't look like adoration.

"I know darlin'. Just dial it back a little. Buy _your_ clothes, let the rest of the family buy their own."

"They don't like me dressing them?"

"Honestly? No. They aren't dolls."

"Emmett doesn't really care."

"No. Most of the guys don't mind you dressing them; they just don't like having to throw things away after they have worn them once. Emmett loved that leather jacket."

"Oh." She ran her hands through the exquisite fabrics. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I don't know. Spending all that money made you happy—"

"And now it doesn't." She paused. "I blame Bella."

Jasper chuckled. "Wanting to give the sale proceeds of the diamond to the tribe?"

"Yes, how generous of her."

"You can be generous," Jasper hinted.

"I can."

"And you can always dress me."

"I prefer to undress you," she said.

* * *

><p>Embry didn't share Billy's head, but he did share Leah's. He knew from the way she was trying to hide things that she and Billy were having sex. He kind of wasn't surprised.<p>

She reeked of her imprint and the thing that made him half hurt the worst he had ever hurt in his life and the other half felt pleased and happy, was that Leah was so happy. Really happy.

Happy enough for Embry who loved her so much to be glad for her.

* * *

><p>The Clearwater siblings were doing housework. Now their mother had wolf sight she didn't miss a thing and she was bad enough before. They didn't really mind and it gave them the chance to chat. They were talking about Rachel again.<p>

Leah stretched up to reach a cobweb in the corner of the ceiling. "I reckon she's pregnant."

"Rachel?" Seth was vacuuming.

"Yeah… caught her trying _not_ to think about it the other day. Do you think that is what this is all about? Making new wolves for the next generation of wolf pack? Is that why Quil gets two women?"

"There aren't many Atearas left. He's the last one. And that might explain why he got let out of the child imprint as well. We don't have fifteen years or more to wait for her to grow up and have kids of her own. It kind of makes sense."

"Huh." Leah thought for a second. "Although I cannot imagine Ellen pregnant."

Seth guffawed and Leah laughed too.

Seth wiped his eyes. "Joy Ateara is gone already, so there's another one."

"Gone?"

"Pregnant." Only Seth would have no issues telling Leah that news.

"She is? How do you know all the gossip?"

"I just _ask_. People tell you the most amazing things when you just ask. Niki is so excited he was busting to tell someone. But he keeps treating her like she is made of the most fragile glass and will break if he touches her too hard."

"That's kind of adorable," Leah confessed. "Ugh. I said adorable." A pause. "But that's pretty quick."

"Quil had a big whine about them going at it all the time, ages ago."

"That's funny, coming from Quil. She and Candie must be about the same number of weeks gone."

"Yeah, that's what I told him. I think he was just upset that he wasn't the center of his mom's world anymore."

"We did the same thing with Charlie, remember?"

"Ugh and speaking of—"

"Hell, NO! Parental sex discussions are not allowed."

"What did he do last night? I've never heard Mom make a noise—"

"SETH!" She smacked him with the feather duster.

"Ow."


	61. Chapter 61

**Chapter 61 - I'll be home for Christmas**

_Disclaimer: the characters and all recognisable situations belong to Stephenie Meyer - this is a work of fan fiction, except for the legends and histories of the Quileute that, of course, belong to them. I pay my respects to their gods._

_Thanks to BanSidhe [ruadh sidhe] and Feebes86 for betaing and pre-reading._

[AN: I misread the diamond pricing tables. It is actually a sliding scale. A single 1 carat diamond costs a whole lot less per carat than a ten carat stone does per carat. So the actual selling price could be from $40k a carat up to $225k per carat - oopsies. I picked somewhere in the middle for such a clear stone cut into an unusual shape.

Also, people expressed concern about the age of Joy getting pregnant. Quil is 21, so Joy could be mid 40's. I asked my gynecologist about all this and after giving me some very odd looks, he explained that most people who have fertility issues skew the age younger because they have issues that are unrelated to age. He sees a lot of women who have no problems and he sees a few unexpected change of life babies. One patient was 49 and having her first child. The chances are lower, but increased if you have already had a child, and with super wolfy sperm? It could happen.]

* * *

><p>Josh, Billy and Carlisle were chatting in the hall. Sitting on the backless bench, long legs stretched out and elbows leaning on the table behind them. "She gave us how much?" Billy asked for the tenth time.<p>

Carlisle smiled. "Just under a million. Emmett got a very good price for the stone."

"A million. Every cent … given away…" He looked at Josh. "That girl…" He shook his head.

Josh shook his head. He knew she was happier giving it away; both the money and the stone. "She's special. We owe your family a debt, as well," he said to Carlisle.

"It was hers to do with as she wished," Carlisle said.

They all glanced at the door when Thomas Uley came in; he was obviously in a hurry, and after looking about, he came right to them.

"There's a guy at the border," he said to Billy. "He says he's Kaylee's father. He wants her and Alex back."

"Hell, no," said Josh.

Thomas looked irritated. "We didn't let him past, told him the rez was closed, but he's real angry and ugly with it, you know?"

"How did he know they were here?" Billy asked.

"Some moron at the trailer park told him she went with a big Indian."

"And he came right here," Josh said sarcastically.

"We could lie? Say we've never heard of her?" Billy suggested.

"She ran away from him, didn't she?" Carlisle asked. "Seth talked to Esme about her."

"She's terrified of this guy," Josh said. "We cannot let her go with him."

"So she needs to see him gone." Billy stood. "Thomas, you go back and tell him that she's on her way. Josh, get Alex. I'll find Seth. We'll meet at the border in fifteen minutes."

"He's not going to like it," Carlisle said.

"Seth? He has to trust her."

"No, I meant this guy when he doesn't get what he wants."

Josh laughed. "Should we call Charlie?"

"A police witness would be a good idea."

* * *

><p>It took them more than fifteen minutes to get everyone to the border. Charlie was there in full uniform on his side of the border. He leaned on the open door of the squad car and tried to look like he didn't recognize anyone and didn't actually live on the other side of the line from where he was standing. They all watched a car drive up and then a truck with a few people riding in the back of it.<p>

Alex, clutching a plastic folder to her chest, got out of Angela's car and looked utterly terrified. Seth gave her a gentle smile and then walked behind her, carrying Kaylee. Angela held Alex's hand.

Thomas Uley and a couple of others stood across the roadblock, blocking the man's entry.

On the other side of the roadblock was a thin, wiry man. Tony Browning, Alex's ex. He was angry. He stalked up and down in an agitated, jerky fashion. He was too jumpy.

Thomas' face twitched at his odor. People sweated drugs and alcohol out through their skin and the super sensitive wolves noticed it. His anger, movement and general body language were making it worse. He had his shoulders hunched up and his head pushed forward. A semi permanent frown etched on his face. His eyes were too small and too close together and Seth hated him on sight.

Alex looked at Tony and compared him to Seth. Seth had the same nervous energy, but his was more a need to physically move; a need to burn off some energy more than a stress reaction. Seth's wide, open face and clear honest eyes had made her like him the second that she saw him. Alex looked at Tony now, and couldn't figure out how she had ever thought he was attractive.

He was really angry; she knew all the signs.

Seth wasn't angry, or upset. They had talked about this meeting. Not that they knew exactly when it would happen, but Alex had known that one day she would have to deal with Tony, face to face. In the car, Seth had said to her, "Let's just deal with it."

But Seth would not be helping her. He was adamant about that. That unspoken confidence in her that she could do it without his help made all the difference to her. Seth didn't say a word. He didn't threaten the guy, he didn't beat him up and Alex knew that Seth could have broken him with one hand tied behind his back. He didn't fight her fight for her.

Tony scanned them all, his gaze settling on Kaylee in Seth's arms. "So you're the big Indian?"

It was a guess, but a good one. Seth gave him a look as if he was a worm and said nothing.

Alex looked nervous, but she wasn't the same girl that he had found in the store. She wished for a second that she could be as strong as Leah. The anger inside made her feel sick.

They were okay and Tony would not leave them alone. A small, scared part of her didn't want to fight but with her friends and her new family standing with her, she knew that she had to do this. She could fake it and if she fell apart later, she knew Seth would pick up the pieces of her and glue them back together with his amazing hugs. He was her soul mate. She knew it in her heart.

She had to do this for her daughter. She wanted her to grow up here with a family who already loved her. She knew about the battle that might be coming for them, but she felt Kaylee would be safer here than with Tony. And if the worst thing happened they'd be together. This was the family she wanted to be part of, no matter what was coming.

If they could face those kind of things, she could do this. She took a deep breath, let go of Angela's hand and pulled a paper from the plastic folder.

Tony spoke to Kaylee and said, "Git here, girl," with an aggressive hand gesture to match.

Kaylee shook her head and hid her face in Seth's neck.

"She's mine," Tony said.

"No. She's not," said Alex.

He looked at her as if she had grown two heads. "That's _my_ kid."

Alex shook her head. "Your name is not on her birth certificate."

"What?"

She knew that he had never looked at it. "It isn't… see…" She held it out for him. "This is a copy, but it's a proper one. Notarized. You can have it."

He frowned and snatched it out her hand.

She was certain that he didn't know what notarized meant. A lawyer had stamped it to say it was a proper copy. Under father it said 'not listed'.

Why she had done that, she did not know until now. Something had made her fill in the form like that. Angela had helped Alex search it all out and talk to the various government departments and agencies involved. They all knew that this confrontation was going to happen one day, and Alex had felt better for being prepared for it.

He threw it on the ground at her feet, as if it had irritated him.

"If you want," Alex added, "you can pay for a DNA test, to determine paternity, but if you do that, you will have to pay child support." Her voice was very quiet. She could do this. She took another deep breath and willed her hands to stop shaking. Her mouth was full of saliva and she felt so incredibly nervous, it hurt her stomach.

Angela gave her a supportive smile.

A little louder now, she said, "You probably wouldn't get custody or access because of your criminal record. I have also written out a statement for the police that has all the things you did to me… and to Kaylee." Another fortifying breath. "And I have copies of the medical bills and I rang the doctors to get statements from them, as well. Plus copies of the x-rays."

He might actually get child access, she couldn't be sure of that, sometimes courts did erratic things, but she knew him and he was not likely to fight for anything that was too much trouble to get. She hoped that she knew him; she was betting her child's life on it.

"Pay for the DNA test and then pay more. More money spent. Money that you won't have to spend on yourself." She took a step towards him, not scared now. "And I will fight you every single step of the way. You'll have to sell your car. I will rain lawyers down on you until your legal bills cost you everything."

"Huh," he grunted. He looked shocked. Alex had never fought him on anything. She had rarely ever stood up to him. It was positively out of character for her to pack up and run away. He had never seen her so determined and so vehement about something. "Do that and I couldn't pay child support," he snarked.

"I don't want your child support. I took nothing from you but a pram and the clothes we had."

"How are _you_ gonna pay for lawyers?"

"I'll pay," said Seth quietly. "And plenty of other people here will pay, too."

Tony focused on Seth and sized him up. All the training had added weight to Seth's lanky frame and he looked dangerous. The other wolves looked determined as well.

Billy spoke in his deepest voice, "I am the chief here and Alex and Kaylee have the protection of this tribe. That protection is physical and financial if necessary. They are ours."

Tony decided to just ignore them all. "That's enough, now. Get in the car."

"No," said Alex. "You need to leave now," a pause. "Without Kaylee," she added.

Faced with stronger opposition than he had anticipated, and a watching cop, he decided to brazen it out. "Yeah, you keep the little bitch. Like I'd want that anyway. Not even sure it's my kid."

Alex went to argue with him, but Angela put her hand on her arm, and she understood that an argument was what he wanted, or her admission that Kaylee was his kid. She bit her lip.

They all stood there for a minute or so. Nobody said anything.

"Don't I get a kiss goodbye?" he pushed.

Alex just glared at him.

Seth shifted Kaylee so that she could see him. "He's going, now," he whispered to her. "See?"

Kaylee looked too terrified to even watch him leave.

He spun on his heel and with his dignity intact, he roared off in his car.

Alex almost collapsed where she stood. Seth hurried to her and they all hugged. "It's okay, Alex. He's gone." He wrapped her up in those long arms.

* * *

><p>Bella and Josh were talking later. Leaning on each other on the sofa. "He is the child's father," Bella said.<p>

"He hurt them, Izzy."

"Oh shit, really?"

"Yes, Alex hasn't said anything to anyone other than Angela until today, but Kaylee talks to her Wolfie."

"Her stuffed toy?"

"No, she caught Seth in wolf form and she thinks _he_ is her stuffed toy brought to life."

"Like Calvin and Hobbes?"

"I have caught an echo of it sometimes when I am phased and Nate told me about it, too. She tells him all sorts of stuff as well."

"That is kind of cute and kind of sad at the same time."

"It's good that she is talking about it. And Alex is so fragile. You can just tell from the way she holds herself."

"I know what you mean. She looks frightened to exist or breathe." Bella looked pensive. "Do you think Kaylee is making it up?"

Josh shook his head. "No. Kids tell little lies, not big ones. She couldn't make up the stuff she has told Wolfie."

"In that case, Seth did so well not to beat him to a pulp."

A chuckle. "Seth said that she had to do it otherwise the guy will just keep coming back."

"That's true." She shifted against him. "But I think she will be stronger for that."

"Maybe they can go the next step, now."

"Next step?"

Sex, he mouthed at her.

"They aren't having sex… but I thought—"

Josh just shook his head.

"It weirds me out how much you guys know about each other's lives. What happened after that night in the hall? When we babysat for them? I was sure they were going to go home and be all over each other."

"They got home and she had a panic attack. Seized up on him. Seth adores her and he doesn't care about the sex. And if he pushed her, he'd be the same as the guy who has made her life so difficult. He's waiting for her. The rest will follow."

"He can be sure of her because of the imprint, I suppose."

"I think that is just Seth."


	62. Chapter 62

**Chapter 62 - I'll be home for Christmas**

_Disclaimer: the characters and all recognisable situations belong to Stephenie Meyer - this is a work of fan fiction, except for the legends and histories of the Quileute that, of course, belong to them. I pay my respects to their gods._

_Thanks to BanSidhe [ruadh sidhe] and Feebes86 for betaing and pre-reading._

[AN: she's back! Hey guys, I did national novel writing month and won - well completed 50k words in one month. It's not good; more of a rough first draft.

And in other news, this story has been nominated TWICE in the fandom choice awards, for best erotic and best non canon romance! Yay. Please go vote for whoever you want - you are allowed three votes in each category and a lot of great wolf and vamp writers are nominated

thefandomchoiceawards. blogspot. com. au/

Anyway, back to the story - watch me TRY to explain SM science... sigh.]

* * *

><p>It was now into the fourth week since Josh and Bella had come back to La Push. Josh and Bella found less time for sex and started to live on quickies, they were both so busy and often so tired. The shield training was exhausting for Bella. Half the time Josh carried her home after she'd fallen asleep. It was hard work for him as well, being in both pack minds. Because he was a conduit between the packs, he had to always be present if the packs were working together; especially for training. The Forties were skittish. They worried more than the younger pack. Experience had given the younger pack a quiet confidence especially after the Volturi scout had showed up and they handled him so easily. But most of the Forties were parents as well as wolves and worse, they were parents <em>of<em> wolves.

But exhaustion and stress made them all snappy and irritable. The time to prepare was good in one sense and bad in another. All the worries of 'will I be here next month, will my friend or lover or partner be okay?' The scary invisible opponent. The vampiric bogeyman.

It was making everyone upset.

* * *

><p>Bella was right about Sam apologizing. He showed up one evening to collect Nate and Ruth. How the game had started, Bella did not know but now it seemed to consist of leaping out and attacking Josh and wrestling him to the floor. Ruth would grab him around the thigh and he would fall like a tree; comically over-acting the whole time. "Agh… she got me again!"<p>

And then they would both climb all over him. They were all laughing and making so much noise with Bella cracking up with laughter as well.

She had no idea how long Sam had stood at the door; she didn't think he had knocked. Perhaps he was listening, but Josh must have known he was there. He caught her eye and jigged his head at the door. Curious, she went to open it. "Hey, Sam."

"Dadda!" squealed Ruth.

"Look at me! Nate beat up Gran'pa."

Sam raised an eyebrow. He held a hand out to Josh who was lying on his back on the floor. Josh took it, even though he didn't need Sam's help to get up.

"Thanks," Sam said, as he pulled Josh to his feet.

Josh nodded.

But before they could continue, Sam went oddly still; his head tilted as if he was hearing something that only he could hear. "Baby's coming," he said.

"Now?" Bella asked.

His phone beeped in his pocket and Sam checked the message and nodded.

"Do you want us to keep the kids?" Josh asked.

"No thanks. We have a plan sorted out with Mom." Sam started putting shoes on little feet; pushing arms into winter jackets and doing up the fastenings as he spoke.

"Sure. Let us know."

"It probably won't take long - less than an hour."

"Really?" Bella checked. "That's great."

"Not from Emily's point of view," Sam said as he did up laces. "It's too fast. We nearly didn't make it to the medical center with Ruth. Thought we had heaps of time."

"If it's that fast, her body doesn't have time to make endorphins to help her deal with the pain," Josh said.

Sam's phone rang. "Yep, Mom. I'm on my way." He hung up and then spoke to the children, "Come on kids, Momma's having the baby."

"Baby!" Ruth repeated loudly.

The family bundled out the door with lots of kisses goodbye and promises to see them soon.

Josh waited until they had well and truly driven off. "I think that was Sam's apology. You were right."

"Ha! But blink and you would have missed it. He's a man of few words."

She looked at Josh's face and then embraced him. "You are so excited."

"I am," he confessed. "I missed the other grandkid births."

"Girl or boy?"

"Don't care."

"You haven't dreamed it?"

"Not that. I wish I had. It would make a change."

She knew he had been having bad dreams lately.

* * *

><p>It was another boy and Sam was right about the labor lasting an hour. They called him Caleb Joshua Uley. Josh took that as Emily's thank you.<p>

Bella thought he was going to cry as he held him and they told him the baby's full name.

She had to be in the room with Allison and she didn't know how to behave. If she clung to Josh, she'd look possessive, if she tried to talk to Allison she was scared of being insulted or starting an argument that they did not want on this day, so she squeezed herself into the visitor's armchair and stayed quiet.

Ruth toddled over and reached her arms up to her, so Bella pulled the small girl onto her lap. Bella fussed over her and tried to hide behind her. When Ruth fell asleep, it gave her the best excuse for not moving. She sat with her face buried in Ruth's hair and wanted to laugh at herself for being such a nervous fool.

Thinking of Candie, Quil and Ellen who were all so happy about Candie's pregnancy, she thought about herself. She had changed her mind recently and now wanted children when they had never been on her to-do list. She wanted a baby of her own. Even looking at Emily's exhausted, but somehow radiant face, she still wanted a baby.

The weight of the small child pressed against her. Warm and solid and real. A small piece of Sam and Emily; together.

And she wanted it. But Josh's of course. She felt almost a pang of jealousy that he was holding a baby that wasn't _their_ baby and then she got annoyed with herself and blinked quickly before she started crying.

Josh seemed to know she was upset. When he got the chance, he bent down and kissed her ear. "You okay?"

She nodded, but she could see Allison glaring daggers at them.

They argued about it, later.

"I am not going to hide, or pretend that I don't feel what I feel," Josh said.

"I just feel guilty," she tried to explain.

"You shouldn't. It's got nothing to do with you. You didn't steal me from her."

"I know and I'm not rejecting you…"

She ended up going to bed alone. Josh went off to the Ateara place to see Old Quil and she wasn't even sure if it was an excuse or not. She felt horrible that they had had a fight on this day of all days; when Josh had been so excited.

_Sorry_.

She sent him the message. And then when she was in bed and feeling very sleepy she sent him another message. _Wake me up when you get home and I'll give you an apology blow job._

When he did finally get home, she was in a deep dreamless sleep and he didn't want to disturb her. So he wrote her an IOU note, with 'sign here' written under the promise and illustrated with a picture that made her laugh when she saw it.

* * *

><p>"Can pregnant females phase?" Paul asked the shaman.<p>

Old Quil was worried. There were no female wolves in the tribal histories and now he had a very nervous Paul Lahote knocking at his door to ask him questions that he didn't know how to answer and there were no answers in the books or legends.

Paul looked serious. "Her scent has changed. I reckon she's pregnant."

"Rachel?"

"Yes. What I want to know… is … is it okay for her to phase? Will it hurt the baby?"

"Is she worried about it?"

He shook his head. "I don't think she has even thought about it, yet. She's worrying about other stuff." Paul started to pace nervously.

"Female wolves are new to this generation," Old Quil suggested.

Paul stopped pacing and looked at him. "So we don't know?"

The old man nodded.

Paul started pacing again. "I know this is our whole future at stake, but I don't see why it has to cost me my kid. It's taken us years to reach this stage. Sam and Emily have popped out three for fuck's sake. And Dad is going to have another kid of his own." He stopped and he glared at Old Quil. "Sorry. I didn't mean to blab that. But it's not fair."

"I will talk to Josh and I will let you know if we find any answers for you."

"That's all you've got?"

"I'm afraid so."

* * *

><p>When Josh arrived, Old Quil filled him in on Paul's concerns.<p>

"Oh, Christ!" Josh put his hands over his face. "I never even thought about that."

The old man looked worried. "The physical change is a special kind of magic. The laws of science do not seem to apply. Injured wolves do not phase to a completely healed human form, otherwise we could simply phase back and forth to restore damage. So the wolves carry some damage or physical changes from one form to another."

Josh understood what he was driving at. "So if they are pregnant as a human, they will still be pregnant as a wolf?"

"That is what I suspect."

"Well at least that is one thing… It is not an equal exchange of elements, so you are right; the laws of science don't apply. We change size so dramatically. Up to five times larger and heavier than our size as humans."

"So perhaps the fetus can survive it?"

"The stress of a battle will be enough of an issue. If it causes a miscarriage, let alone the stress of the physical change. Paul is right to be concerned."

"Perhaps if they do not phase back and forth?" Old Quil suggested.

They honestly had no answers. They both sat in silent thought for a few minutes.

"Can we ask them to make such a sacrifice?" the old man asked him.

"We need the numbers. We cannot lose a single wolf. Our whole strategy depends on it and the numbers are close."

"The real issue is will Paul's wolf _let_ her fight? Even if she still wants to. I saw him; he looks very agitated. He may not be able to concentrate and do what is expected of him."

"Fuck… fuck… fuck." Josh looked as if he wanted to tear his hair out; knuckles clenched in his shorter hair. "For the ones who are mated to humans, a child is something to fight for. That's what they are doing… fighting to protect it and it's future. For the female wolves… I don't know. I would suggest it is something that we need to leave up to them. It's their choice."

"Is Bella…" Old Quil paused.

"She's not pregnant. Not as far as I know. But if she was…" He tried to think about it. "She will be on the field of battle. We can't do it without her and my wolf knows that."

"We also don't know how many of the others, even the older females, may be fertile as well. Paul mentioned that Joy is pregnant, too."

"They've all been going at it like rabbits."

The old man chuckled.

Josh noticed his face. "She hadn't told you yet, huh?"

"No. Another grandchild. This is a good thing. Even though Joy is not of my blood, she married my son and has been my family ever since. More so, since my son was killed."

"Yes, it is a good thing. I just had another grandchild. Maybe this one will be a girl, too?"

"They are rare in the Ateara family, but you never know." He made a face. "New blood. Although technically if it is a 'she', she will be a Lahote and another one on the Uley family tree." He elbowed Josh obviously.

"Yeah. The Uley family tree," he repeated. "I feel proud." He frowned. "I'm not used to that."

"So what do we do about the females?"

"Do we tell them it is their choice and if Paul loses it? We'll deal with it? Although he is one of most experienced fighters."

"Maybe Sam can help him control his wolf?" Old Quil suggested.

"Yes! He had his wolf on such a tight rein after Emily was hurt, he must have some strategies that could help."

"We should talk to Sue, she is the pack female for the Forties."

"And this is a pack issue. Others may be unaware that they could even be pregnant."

"Another pack meeting?" The shaman sounded as if was not ready for it.

"I know," Josh agreed. "I will be glad when this is all over too." He paused. "Izzy and I were arguing tonight. We _never_ argue."

Old Quil didn't say anything. He just nodded sympathetically.

Josh stood with a sigh. "Speaking of, I had better get home to her."

"She will be waiting for you."

Feeling obligated to explain, Josh said, "It's not us, us; it's Allison."

"Ah. There I cannot help you."


	63. Chapter 63

**Chapter 63 - I'll be home for Christmas**

_Disclaimer: the characters and all recognisable situations belong to Stephenie Meyer - this is a work of fan fiction, except for the legends and histories of the Quileute that, of course, belong to them. I pay my respects to their gods._

_Thanks to BanSidhe [ruadh sidhe] and Feebes86 for betaing and pre-reading._

* * *

><p>Josh and Jasper had worked out the strategy for the battle, but Josh hadn't quite told Bella what her essential part was going to be. Or at least <em>how<em> she would be doing that essential part.

"You need to be able to move as fast as or faster than a vampire," he finally told her one night.

She looked at him doubtfully. "And exactly _how_ will I do that?"

"Well…"

"Josh?" she warned. "What aren't you telling me?"

"Do you remember the night you rode me?"

"Yes." That horrible night that he had panicked after being in Sam and Embry's heads; sharing their memories of a fatherless childhood.

"You have to ride a wolf."

She blinked. "During the battle _and_ presumably keep the shield up."

He squirmed. "Yeah."

"You don't think you should have mentioned this before now?"

"Probably."

"Who am I riding?"

He was concerned; she was taking this too well. "I want you on the fastest wolf."

She raised an eyebrow.

"That isn't an alpha. So that makes it Seth," he answered.

"Seth. Does he know about this?"

"Maybe…" he could see the trap.

"So you have already told Seth and you are only just mentioning this to me, now?"

He tried to hug her in close to him but she pushed at his chest. "I definitely should have spoken to you first," he said.

"Humph."

She tried to be irritated with him but it was hard to resist him when he was touching her.

She huffed out an annoyed breath. "Can't I ride you?" she complained to Josh.

"I have other things to do and you can ride me anytime," he purred at her.

She chuckled. She knew he wasn't talking about as a wolf. "That would be an epic fail."

He chose to be offended. "You think I couldn't get it up under that kind of pressure?"

"I _know_ you could, that's why it would be an epic fail."

He chuckled.

She poked him in the chest. "So what you are really telling me is I need to find the time for wolf riding lessons?"

"Yeah and I know you already have so much to do."

"Gah. Do I ever."

She bit her lip.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"The shield… it's just not strong enough. I am terrified that—"

"We'll be fine."

"No. I've seen Jane torture people… it's terrifying, Josh."

He wrapped her in against him, murmuring comforting things.

"What if I can't do it?" she asked.

"You need to wish for it."

"That's … I don't know. I doubt I can do that, now."

"I was talking to Carlisle and he said he knew a vampire who had wish fulfillment as her gift."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah… now what was her name? Siobhan?"

"Sounds Irish."

"It is. How did Carlisle describe it…? He said she had the power to visualize an outcome of events and project it into reality."

"Huh. The others don't know about how the two of us together can wish for things," Bella said.

"No."

"Why?"

"It's important that they fight. That they believe in themselves-"

"Wishing isn't enough?"

"Maybe… I wish it was. We don't know, but we can't let them rely on it."

"Or… we might use it up on frivolous things; if there is a limit on wishes."

"Yeah." He gave her a look. "What? Like giving Quil two women?"

Her mouth gaped at him. "Oh, come on… that's not fair. I didn't know." She gave him a look. "Are you jealous?

"No." He grinned at her. "It's fine. I'm just teasing. Quil deserves his women and they both seem happy with him and with each other. I assume that the gods knew what they were doing. They all seem overjoyed with the arrangement."

"They are all so different, but it works."

"They'll never be bored."

She sighed.

He knew what she meant. "One day we might be bored," he suggested.

"I wi-"

He clapped his hand over her mouth. "Don't say it."

Her eyes sparkled at him.

"Spend them all on getting through this alive."

She nodded.

* * *

><p>Yet again, they were all in the tribal hall. All wolves were in attendance; not even one or two on patrol so they knew that meant it was a serious meeting.<p>

Billy cleared his throat to get their attention. "Ah… it has been brought to our attention that we may have an issue with the female wolves."

His sisters gave him an evil look.

"Not with regard to their performance, but an issue that relates to their health and the health of their children," he added with a pointed look at the eldest Nora.

"How?" she asked.

"Candie had some news the other week that she shared and now we are worried that other females may also be pregnant."

There was an odd silence while people processed that.

"Female wolves?" Ellen checked. "Not just female partners of wolves."

Billy nodded.

The murmurs started. "What if they phase?" "What if they _can't_ phase?" "What if…"

Billy held his hands up for silence. "There is nothing in the records. We have never had female wolves before Leah phased. It was not an issue for our ancestors and our shaman has looked for guidance and found none." He glanced towards Carlisle and Jasper who were standing at the side, observing. "I shared our concerns with Dr Cullen and he may have some answers based more in science."

Carlisle nodded his head at the assembled packs. "Without dealing with the issues involved in actually fighting, like blood loss or a hit to the stomach, my first concern is the very high body temperature."

"We can't fix that!" Emmie Black interrupted.

"No. The wolves approach or exceed 108F. In a normal human being, a fever of 102 is dangerous and above 104 is life threatening. Death results above 107. None of you are dead."

There were a couple of nervous chuckles.

"So I have to assume that if all your other body functions are unaffected by the temperature, then the fact that you can even become pregnant indicates that those body functions are working just fine." He smiled in his best bedside manner, before nodding at Jasper.

Jasper had a laptop with him. He opened it and held it up so that people could see the screen.

Carlisle pointed at the screen when some images flashed up. "These are shots of the fetuses of mammals. If you look at different embryos at the same early stage of a few days or weeks pregnant, they all look pretty much the same; they are just a bunch of cells with basic organs that we share with other mammals. You cannot tell which is a wolf and which is a human from these shots. I cannot say for sure without actually scanning a phased wolf, but I think - and this is only a guess - that the baby may phase with the mother. The truth is, we just don't know."

More nervous chatter.

"The uterus is a wondrous organ, the placenta filters out bacterial infections and some diseases, and the amniotic fluid absorbs sound and movement. The baby is almost perfectly protected inside."

Jasper gave Carlisle an astonished look.

"Is this really an issue?" Collin asked. "I mean," he added hurriedly before he got growled at, "Are any female wolves pregnant?"

Rachel stood up. "I am." She had her hands held protectively across her stomach even though it was as flat as it always was. "I've been phasing… several times a day to train. What does that mean?"

Their pack looked as if they wanted to congratulate Rachel and Paul but weren't sure that now was the right time.

Carlisle answered, "Phasing is such a strain for the human body. You literally remake yourselves and you eat huge amounts to provide the energy for the change. Plus, there is the stress of this whole situation. All of you are under a huge strain - that is difficult enough for _any_ pregnant woman and a lot of first time pregnancies miscarry normally. So if you have got this far, I think you should be fine."

"So, wait a second," said Connie Black, "You said the baby might phase too, so what does that mean for it when it is born?"

"Again," Billy answered, "Our best guess is that it would not need exposure to vampires, to start the change. That child will always be a wolf."

Carlisle nodded. "I don't think they will be phasing as angry three year olds, the process may still wait for their teens when the hormonal changes in their bodies trigger the actual phase; the same way it was for the younger pack. But only for children conceived like that."

"All right!" said Quil.

Everyone looked at him.

"X-men wolves!" he explained.

"What?" Embry asked him.

"The next generation." He said it in the low tones of a male movie trailer narrator. "They will be kick-ass little dudes."

Lucas let out a squeal of delight.

"They might not all be dudes, Quil," said Ellen tolerantly.

"Meh, you know what I mean."

Josh spoke, "We have to assume that any female wolf who is having sex may be pregnant, but especially so if they are mating with another wolf. Contraception is probably not going to stop it."

"Jeez," said Ellen. "You could have told us this before."

"Sorry, Ellen. We honestly didn't even think about it before Paul raised some concerns."

She nodded at her brother.

Leah made a snort sound. "Who are you talking about? Most of the Forties ladies are not with other wolves. Rachel, Ellen and me. That's it for the wolf on wolf pairings!" Leah said.

"Yes," said Billy.

Leah looked at him and blinked slowly before shutting her mouth.

"Ellen?" Josh asked.

Quil shoved his face in the side of her neck and she punched him in the head. "Get away from me. I am not pregnant. If you have knocked me up, Quil Ateara, I will have your balls."

Quil bounced in place. He didn't look frightened of her at all. "Oh, come on, Ellen. I don't think you are anyway. You don't smell different or taste different."

"Quil," Jared protested. "Too much information."

"Oh, I only said it because Candie—"

"No, Quil. Stop," Seth said.

Josh spoke again, "I do not want to tell you that you can't fight. That is not fair to the females and to be honest, we need you. We need you to fight, but I do not want to _force_ you to do it."

"Josh, everyone has to fight. We can't lose one," Jake said.

"If they don't want to be there, Jake, we can't force them." He glanced at them all. "Do we have a meeting of just the females? Or would you prefer to make this decision with your partners?"

"This is pack business," said Ellen. "Pack is fine. Anyone object?"

Nobody did.

Jasper spoke, "Josh and I have worked on a plan and a strategy and I will be brutal here. We need you all to fight; pregnant or not."

Dead silence.

Rachel sat down again and Paul put his arm around her shoulders.

Niki spoke up, "Paul will watch her, as will I. That's my grandchild."

"Everyone will watch bearing wolves, but that is another issue," Josh said. "How will their wolf mates behave during the battle?"

"Ooh… yeah. Will they get too protective?" Brady said.

Billy said, "Josh, our mates are wolves, yours is human. She can't fight, she can't bite. She is the least able to protect herself and she will be right there."

Bella kept quiet. A few years ago she would have objected.

"I am well aware of that," Josh answered, "and it worries me to death. But if she isn't on the battle field, we are all lost." He paused. "We need her shield."

"I understand," Billy added, "but what I am saying is that if you can do it, so can we." He glanced at Leah. "I know Leah can look after herself." He glanced at Quil. "Quil has never seen Ellen as anything except competent, so he isn't worried for her."

Quil frowned as if he didn't understand what Billy meant. "Ellen can kick some serious ass," he said.

Billy made a face as if to say 'see'. "Rachel is my daughter," he continued. "I would worry about her in any situation. But as my daughter, there is one thing I am certain of, and that is that she is strong and capable."

Paul's jaw set. He didn't look happy. "We don't make their decisions for them," he growled out through gritted teeth.

Rachel glanced at him and reached out to hold his hand. "He's not making my decision, he's just telling me he knows I can cope." She looked up at her father. "I can do it," she said.

Paul added, "Rachel has really got her shit together since she phased. I know she can look after herself, too."

"I agree," Jake, her alpha added.

"Sam can help you," Josh said to Paul.

"Me?" Sam asked. He gave Josh a suspicious look; concerned that Josh was going to say something about Sam's wolf and the attack on Emily.

"Sam worked out some strategies to keep a tight leash on his wolf. He had to do it himself back in the early days when he was alpha," Josh explained without mentioning the forced phase and how Sam had kept the wolf away from Emily.

"I remember," said Paul. "He and I can do some training 'coz honestly, I feel like locking Rachel up."

"Charlie will probably be there as well," Sue said. "I can't split myself between worrying about him and my kids."

"We all have to fight," said Jane Wilde. "If we don't, you told us there wouldn't _**be**_ a village for our kids to grow up in. The more we learn of these vampires and the more we hear of how they operate," she gestured at the boards covered in the fact sheets on the Volturi. "We have to fight. Even if it means a miscarriage."

"I'll fight _harder_," Niki said. "Because I want to meet my baby; I want to meet them all."

Everyone seemed to agree with that statement.

"Josh?" Bella asked. "Is Rachel fast?"

Josh frowned but Seth understood. "Oh, do you think you should ride her; not me?"

"Yes, if she is quick."

"All the females are quick," Leah said. "But if she's with you, she's a bigger target."

"Shit yeah," said Paul. "I'd rather she be where I can see her. They'll all be gunning for you."

Bella bit her lip.

"Sorry," Paul added, realizing that he might have upset her.

"No. That makes sense." She smiled at him. "And you don't mind that, Seth? Being with the target?"

"Nah, I'm good. And quick," he added.

"You told Rebecca if she stayed, that she would have to fight, Bella," Rachel said. "And as a wolf, you said."

"I did, too."

"And you were right," Rachel added. "Maybe I would have behaved differently if I had known all this was coming."

Bella took that as Rachel's apology.

* * *

><p>After the meeting broke up, Bella was talking to Josh. "You know what else it means for the babies?"<p>

"No, what?"

"No more secrets, if they know they are going to be wolves one day."

"And no more damaged people from trying to keep those secrets like Leah, Sam and Emily."

"Yes."


	64. Chapter 64

**Chapter 64 - I'll be home for Christmas**

_Disclaimer: the characters and all recognisable situations belong to Stephenie Meyer - this is a work of fan fiction, except for the legends and histories of the Quileute that, of course, belong to them. I pay my respects to their gods._

_Thanks to BanSidhe [ruadh sidhe] and Feebes86 for betaing and pre-reading._

* * *

><p>"End of January, already?" Charlie muttered to himself as he sat in his office when Deputy Mark and Deputy Steve came in. They came too quickly, and behaved like bad spies, looking around to see if anyone had noticed them go into his office, as if they didn't do it a dozen times a day without the show, before pointedly shutting the door behind them.<p>

"What the hell?" Charlie asked them.

Steve leaned over the desk while Mark guarded the door, his back against it and his arms splayed wide.

"Whatever is happening," Steve said, stopping to glance around again, "We are in."

"In?" Charlie repeated.

"Yeah," Mark said. "Count us in."

"In what?" asked Charlie, disingenuously.

"Oh, come on, Chief," said Mark. "We know you and we know when something is up at the rez."

"Locked down," said Steve. "Buying food in bulk."

"Is it the apocalypse?"

"No," said Steve. "Is it zombies?"

Charlie snorted, laughed and then couldn't stop laughing. It amused him more than it should because zombies was a surprisingly accurate description for vampires; the walking dead. They were a lot faster at that walking, of course.

When he finally got himself under control, both his deputies looked more unnerved.

"No one can hear?" Charlie asked them.

Steve peered out through the venetian blind. "All out."

Charlie waved a hand at the chairs on the other side of his desk. "Take a seat. This might take a while."

When they were both seated, he started. "Remember the deaths of the hikers about five years back?"

Murders were rare in Clallam County; they remembered.

"Yeah." Steve and Mark exchanged a heavy look.

Charlie huffed out a breath. "It was… vampires."

Dead silence greeted that announcement.

"What the fuck?" Steve managed in a hoarse voice.

Mark knew Charlie a little better. And knew he wasn't joking.

Charlie leaned sideways, pulled out his bottom drawer and found the bottle of spirits that lived In there. He placed the half full bottle of bourbon on his desk, and peered in his coffee mug doubtfully. Mark snuck out of the office to grab two more mugs and Charlie poured a hefty swig into each.

"Vampires?" Mark checked.

"I told Billy that you guys were not idiots. He said that I could tell you if you asked."

"What does Billy have to do with this? He sure ain't no vampire," Steve said.

Charlie told them everything; leaving out the actual fact that the Cullens were vampires, too. That wasn't his secret to tell. If they had passed as human in the town for as many years as they did, then people didn't want to see or to know.

They sat there very quietly when he had finished. Mark held his mug out again and Charlie gave him a top-up.

Steve shook his head. "So much makes sense… but it kind of… doesn't make sense… you know? It defies logic."

"I know."

"Have you seen one? A …a vampire?" Steve asked.

"Yes." He didn't tell them that they had, too.

"Shit, Chief."

"Seattle," said Mark suddenly.

Charlie just nodded. "Victims became vampires or were … used as food; consumed."

"What took them out, that time?" Steve asked.

"The wolves… and some friends."

They all looked stricken.

"So it spreads like a plague? Just one bite?" Mark asked.

Charlie nodded. "And no cure."

"Super strong? Super fast?" Steve checked.

"Yep."

"And the tribe think they can handle it?" Steve asked.

"That's what you were doing!" Mark said. "You, Billy and Leah in the evidence room. I knew you had to have a reason to take them in there."

Charlie looked embarrassed. "Yeah. Looking for useful weapons."

Steve looked shocked. "That could mess up the prosecution of cases."

"I know, but if this goes badly I won't be here to sack."

"Shit!" they both said.

There was a long pause.

"We're still in," said Mark. "I've got kids."

"This is kind of our job," said Steve. "Local law enforcement."

"It is a little out of the league of local. Or normal," Charlie said.

"Still," said Mark, "They are the bad guys and we are the good guys."

Charlie chuckled. "Yeah."

Steve shook his head. "Wolves? Seriously?"

"Gigantic things. The size of a horse," Charlie said.

"That's why they are all so big," said Mark. "Whoa. Who'd have thought it? Their legends come to life."

Mark looked less unnerved and more intrigued. "I'd like to see one of them."

"You will, if you two are serious about helping." He knew Mark was ex army. "I need some good shooters. And any ideas you've got."

"We're still in, tell us what you need."

They had almost finished the bottle when Charlie remembered to add, "You can't tell anyone about this. I mean anyone. Not wives! Not girlfriends."

The Volturi had rules about secrecy; they'd kill you if you knew or turn you into a vampire like them. But if they were fighting them that was irrelevant. He was more concerned about people thinking his deputies might be insane or unbalanced if they started talking about it. A rule of secrecy wasn't such a bad idea.

"Sure." Mark shrugged. "Like they'd believe us anyway."

"Good point." Charlie frowned. "So why do you believe me?"

"You don't fuck around, Chief and besides I think I saw one of them." Steve scratched his head.

"Them?" Charlie checked.

"A wolf. Way back when we found that female hiker in the woods. It was silver gray but I convinced myself that it was a trick of the scale; that it can't have been as big as it looked… just must have been closer than I thought… you know? We had all missed a lot of sleep that week. I told myself I had imagined it."

Charlie nodded. "That was Paul. He confessed recently that you might have seen him."

"Paul Lahote?"

A nod.

"What was he doing?"

"Trying to get a scent; to track the killer."

"Fuck," Steve exclaimed. "Wolf senses! Whoa. They'd be the most intelligent tracker dogs ever!"

"I've thought of that," Charlie said. "But whatever you do, don't call them dogs." He finished his 'coffee'. He rubbed his hand over his face.

"So when is V day?" Mark asked.

"Pretty close to it, actually. We don't have an actual date."

The deputies stood to leave when Steve leaned over the desk, a little drunkenly. "What other legends do they have? Mermaids? I'd like to meet one of those."

"Believe me, Steve, wolf girls are trouble enough."

"Oh, Hell, Chief… is Sue?" then he stopped talking.

Charlie just nodded.

"Whoa."

"You single again?" Charlie checked.

"Yeah," Steve said doubtfully.

"Well. You never know. Some wolf girl might find you irresistible." He stood and clapped him on the back. "Come on. We've got work to do."

* * *

><p>Josh moved above her. Bella's hands clutched at his ass and she moaned dramatically underneath him.<p>

Within seconds he was gone; pulled away from her and her hands were held extended above her head, one of his hands wrapped around each of her wrists. He glared down at her.

"W-what?' she asked.

"Izzy, are you faking an orgasm?"

"Me? No," she lied.

"Liar."

"Stupid fucking werewolves," she muttered. He could tell from all her bodily reactions; heart rate and so on, that she was lying.

"If you know that I can tell when you lie, why did you lie?"

She bit her lip.

He raised an eyebrow.

"You're tired," she said. They were all tired. "I just thought you might prefer to sleep."

"If I didn't want to fuck you, I wouldn't be fucking you. If I wanted to sleep, I'd be asleep."

"I suppose…"

"So you're insulting me to _not_ insult me?"

"It's not an insult— "

"Isn't it? What you are telling me is that you either want this over and done with quickly, or I just don't do it for you any more."

"No. I was trying to be nice," she argued.

"Neither of those options is 'nice'."

"And that wasn't what I was trying to do. I was trying to cut you a break."

"Right."

She had to fix this. If she tried to wrap her legs around him, she was worried that he'd move further away from her and she thought that might break her heart. "I'm sorry," she apologized. "I will never try to fake another orgasm."

He didn't answer.

"Not that I have ever done it before because, as you say, you'd call me on it and if you wanted to try again," she suggested carefully. "I promise to be a better communicator and tell you if I am not fully into it," nervous, she spoke too quickly.

He studied her carefully for what seemed the longest time. "Apology accepted."

"I didn't think about how it would appear to you."

"Okay, and I can tell when you are faking."

"Yeah, with wolf senses. Can you let go of my arms now?"

"No." He shifted to hold her wrists in one of his. She didn't fight him.

He leaned down and whispered in her ear; his hot breath searing down her neck. "I could tell if you were faking it _before_ I became a wolf, so it wasn't being a wolf that gave you away… you know why?"

She shook her head mutely.

"Because I'm good at this."

He sure was. "I know… you're the best I've ever had."

She got another serious look for that confession.

He added, "And I should have known you weren't fully into it. So I apologize to you, as well, and in future you tell me if what I am doing doesn't work for you."

"Okay."

He kissed her hard. He was using his other hand to stroke himself; she could hear him do it.

She squirmed. "Are you going to fuck me now?" she asked him.

"Eventually. You are going to come twice, first."

"Twice?"

"Twice. Or did you want to sleep?"

She ignored that. "So you are just teasing me by playing with yourself?"

He smiled. He pushed her hands up to grasp at a carved wooden piece of the head board. "Hang onto that and do not let go."

It would be a good idea to obey him, right now. She felt restrained without actually being restrained. "I'm in trouble, aren't I?"

"Yes, you are."

"I said I was sorry."

"I know."

She lifted one leg and rubbed her heel down the back of his leg. "I really did think you were tired."

"Not tired now." He pushed her thighs apart with his knee. "Got a point to prove."

Her breath hitched, as he looked down at her. The intensity of his gaze promised that he'd keep his word and she felt her excitement level lift. Twice would be easy now if he kept looking at her like that. He pressed his solid cock up against her and holding it firmly in place with his hand he started to rub the base against her. Rocking above her in small movements with his gaze fixed firmly on hers.

"Josh?"

"Yes."

"That feels really good."

He grinned at her. "Twice," he reminded her. "You feeling tired?"

"Not if you look at me like that."

"Good to know."

She arched up against the pressure and that made her close her eyes for a second. He almost slid inside her.

"Uh-uh," he chastised. "Not yet."

She groaned in protest.

Her first orgasm came in a rolling shudder. His lips nibbling at her neck and that endless rubbing sending her over the edge.

"That's my girl," he crooned to her before sliding down the bed and burying his face between her legs.

She twitched, still so sensitive to touch as he started to lick at her. Her hands let go of the head board and she buried them in his hair instead. He made a grunt into her but didn't order her to put them back so she assumed she was allowed to move. He went to work. Kissing, licking, nibbling at her until she was wet from both his mouth and her own juices and she was winding up to another peak; squirming and gasping. He slid two fingers inside her and pumped them into her, his mouth locked around her clitoris as his tongue flicked across it.

"Oh, God… good… yes," she moaned for real this time.

When she finished he lifted his head, and wiped down his face with his palm.

He put his arms under her knees, lifting them and opening her out and then he placed his hands flat on the bed next to her waist. He raised up on his knees and his cock unerringly found her center. He worked his way in, in little movements until he was fully inside her and she groaned as he pushed all the way in.

And then he fucked her.

She clutched at the back of his neck with both hands as he slammed into her hard enough to shove her up the bed a little each time he did it. Her breath was coming in pants that sounded like yelps of, "Yes." Over and over.

He stared at her intently as he had done earlier. She could tell when he was approaching his own orgasm; the shorter strokes gave him away. She hauled herself up, still clinging to his neck and she kissed him as he lost it. He moaned into her mouth as he collapsed on top of her.

"So good," she told him when she could speak properly.

"Much better," he agreed.

Still lying wrapped around each other, Bella ventured a question, "Josh?"

"Hmmm."

"Have you been talking to Embry?"

"Trying. He's a good guy."

"Yes, he is. I've always liked Embry."

"He loves you."

"Not like that."

"No… _that_ he saves for Leah."

"Still?"

"You haven't seen them ignore each other?"

"Huh."

Silence for a beat.

"Wait a second," said Bella, "That means she still loves him, too. If she is ignoring him back."

"Maybe. Now go to sleep. I really am tired now."

* * *

><p>Leah and Billy were lying wrapped around each other.<p>

"Billy?"

"Hmmm."

"Have you been talking to Embry?"

"Trying. I'm not sure what to say."

"Me either."

He pulled her in closer to him and pressed his face in against her neck. "He still loves you."

"I know."

Silence for a beat.

Leah sighed. "I just don't know what to do. I can't keep ignoring him. It makes my heart hurt to see him so sad."

"You still love him."

"Maybe. I told Seth ages ago that now I understood how Sam felt."

"About?"

"How imprinting on Emily could be so strong but still not erase how he felt about me."

"I still love Sarah but that's very different because she's gone."

"And whatever I felt for Embry is just… buried a bit deeper."

"But it's still there," Billy suggested.


	65. Chapter 65

**Chapter 65 - I'll be home for Christmas**

_Disclaimer: the characters and all recognisable situations belong to Stephenie Meyer - this is a work of fan fiction, except for the legends and histories of the Quileute that, of course, belong to them. I pay my respects to their gods._

_Thanks to BanSidhe [ruadh sidhe] and Feebes86 for betaing and pre-reading._

* * *

><p>Edward was playing the piano. The music he was playing had not been heard in the Cullen house for many years. When he stopped, Carlisle was brave enough to enter the room.<p>

"That was her tune," said Carlisle carefully. It was a long time since he had heard his son even touch a keyboard.

"Yes. The lullaby that I wrote for her. My Isabella."

"Are you okay, son?"

"She's my singer, as Aro called her. Odd, isn't it? That was the first time I had heard the term. I should have guessed; her blood did sing to me. Calling to me in the sweetest tones."

Carlisle waited for Edward to continue. Sometimes they spoke as an actual two-sided conversation. Even though Edward could read his mind, he needed to know which of the thoughts that passed Carlisle's mind was the one he wanted to voice.

Edward added, "She's the one person that appeals to me in a way that no other person does."

"Plus, she can shield you."

"Exactly. Not only is her blood so incredibly potent to me, but she is the only person in all my years and all my traveling whose mind I cannot read."

"I believe her shield is so intriguing to you that it actually made her _more_ attractive to you."

Edward picked out notes on the piano. His head resting on his arm along the top of it. He was unusually slouching like a teenager. "We did not have that many things in common," he said idly.

"She's not into music in the same way that you are," Carlisle conceded.

"No. She didn't read as widely either. Always sticking with her favorite classic English novels. She barely read classic American literature."

"I had always imagined you with another musician… a cellist, perhaps," Carlisle added. "To join you on the piano."

"If she was a vampire… she would have enough time to learn any instrument she wanted."

That comment unnerved Carlisle a little. She no longer wanted to be a vampire; they all knew that. "Sometimes a hundred years of practice will not replace a gift that does not exist in the first place."

"Do not worry, Father, I will not do anything rash. It has been made abundantly clear to me that she no longer feels for me the way she used to."

"The feelings and emotions of a vampire last longer than those of a human."

"Perhaps… even epic vampire love relationships do not always continue. Our family is rare with its long term bonds and none of you are actually bonded to your singers."

"Of all of us, only Emmett has even met his singer."

"Yes," Edward agreed. "He had the extraordinary luck to meet two! Of all of you, he is the only one who could possibly understand."

Carlisle was silent.

"And that went so well," said Edward sarcastically. "He is a better vampire than a gentleman." Emmett had lost control. The overwhelming need to slake his thirst had been too much for him and he had drained them both within minutes of scenting them. He did comment later, that one was tastier than the other. Emmett was still not a very good gentleman.

There was another silence.

"Did we really only attend school for my benefit?" Edward asked.

"What makes you say that?"

"Rose let it slip some time ago."

"Then the answer is yes. You can all pass for much older than your turn age. I wanted you to meet as many people your own age as you could, and school and college is the best for that."

Endless schools. Dozens of them. Enough to frame a veritable rainbow of graduation caps.

Edward looked at the man who had been his father for longer than most people had been alive. A surgeon. A man who had used his vampire skills to save hundreds maybe even thousands of lives. And the rest of them had done nothing; except attend high school and college.

He felt a spike of anger at the futility of their lives. Pointless frippery. But none of them had Carlisle's hard won self control.

Back in the 1640's Carlisle's father had been a hunter of the supernatural; killed witches, vampires and werewolves even if sometimes they had turned out to be just humans. Carlisle had disliked killing, even then, but being smarter than his parent he had actually found a real coven of vampires. It had not gone so well when one had bitten him. He spent the three days of his transformation hiding in a potato cellar to emerge the epitome of all that he hated and had hunted for years.

A lesser man would have gone insane or turned that rage onto others. Carlisle had tried to kill himself; supernatural hunter still when the target was himself. Defeated, he had eventually discovered that the blood of animals would sustain him. He prided himself on never touching human blood.

He reinvented himself as a humane vampire; with his humanity allowing him, through sheer force of will, to be good. That he had made a family and they had grown and prospered, showed that vampires _could_ change. They could follow a new diet.

Edward banged the keys in an abrupt motion.

"We should do more!" he shouted.

"More?" Carlisle checked.

"Not you. You already work too many hours to be human. The rest of the family… we just… _exist_."

"Edward, it took me two centuries to learn to deny the blood thirst sufficiently to operate. Do you wish me to call Jasper?"

Jasper who could calm him with a thought. "No." That was too abrupt. "Thank you. It was playing her song, it has made me maudlin. It is funny that thinking of her makes me feel almost human again. I feel sadness that she is no longer mine. Regret and mourning."

Carlisle had been turned at twenty three; he had known something of the world. After five years, Edward was finally emotionally dealing with Bella leaving him at the altar. "Seeing her with Josh has brought this on," he guessed.

"They are so well suited. She is happy. If she wasn't with him she wouldn't be alive at all. Demetri was close behind her; on her trail. It was a freak occurrence for her to arrive in La Push at exactly the moment that she did. As if the tribal guards willed it so."

Carlisle was confused.

"I know you believe in God, Father."

"Yes. We have discussed the fate of the soul of a vampire in the past."

"Do you believe in the tribal gods?"

Carlisle paused as he thought. "Yes, I think that I do. Their existence is not in conflict with my beliefs." He studied his son. "Why do you ask?"

"Josh believes that all these events are pre-ordained."

"By _their_ gods?"

"Yes."

"Did he say why?"

"He is fascinated by the fact that the only tribe in the world capable of harming us should live so near to us."

"I see. Or better, that we should move to be near to it."

"Exactly. Why did we move here? Do you recall?"

"The climate. The constantly overcast skies concealed our nature and the isolation. A sparsely populated area suits us with our restricted diet and the game was plentiful."

They were both thinking.

Carlisle asked, "Did he let slip what the gods are planning? Can he see all of it?"

"I am not sure that he knows for certain. He has an image of peace for the future."

"Peace? For all or just the tribe?"

"Billy does not condone vampires who do not follow our diet, so a treaty could not be extended to the world of vampires—"

"Unless they _did_ change their diet," Carlisle interrupted. He sighed as he had a fantasy of vampires walking the streets in the sunshine. "A pipe dream."

Edward smiled as he read his father's mind.

"I need to return to my work," Carlisle said.

"Diabetes research? May I be of assistance?"

"Certainly. But what I really require is a better laboratory."

* * *

><p>Of the other Cullens, Alice and Jasper were reveling in their time at La Push. Close to the wolves Alice was future blind and although it worried her to not know the decisions of the Volturi from minute to minute, she had discovered a benefit.<p>

Bella had commented in the past that Alice and Jasper weren't demonstrative with their affection; they had a tendency to stare at each other intensely, but rarely kissed in public. Plus, Alice always knew the exact number of minutes until she saw her lover again, so it was never a surprise. But on the rez where she was future blind, she would see him unexpectedly and her whole face would light up. Jasper, of course, knew exactly what she was feeling so it was doubled back upon him and amplified the effect for them both.

For once, he could sneak up on her or surprise her, and he greatly enjoyed doing it.

The wolves could see the scarred warrior relax his ramrod straight spine to bend down and embrace the tiny vampire.

"How long have you two been together?" Jared asked them.

"Since 1948," Jasper answered, kissing Alice quickly. "Met her in a diner in Philadelphia.

"You kept me waiting long enough," Alice accused.

"Oh… right," said Quil. "You could see him coming."

"Yes, I could."

"That's epic!" Quil said.

* * *

><p>The next day Bella went over to the Black house to talk to Angela. They hadn't seen each other for a little while and she missed her good friend.<p>

She found her with a pile of paperwork and her laptop.

Bella made her close it down and they sat at the table and chatted about their new lives.

"You did a great job helping Alex with that super creep," Bella commented.

"Ugh. Wasn't he horrid?" Angela shuddered

"You didn't tell me about Alex's history."

"She asked me not to tell anyone." Angela looked offended. "I used to keep your secrets, too."

"True. Josh didn't tell me, either. So much for imprint benefits. How are you and Jake going?"

"You told me he was the prince."

"Oh, that's right. In Josh's apartment."

"And he is. _My_ prince." She shook her head. "That seems like so long ago."

"A lifetime. You were worried that the imprint wouldn't feel real."

"He loves me. I know it." Angela almost blushed. "He kisses me like he wants to consume me; burn me up."

"Oh, that's just Jake," Bella said before she had thought better of it.

Angela gave her a look.

"I never told you that?" Bella blustered.

"Told me what?"

"Jake kissed me… once. No, wait… three times? I punched him after one and hurt my hand."

"You've kissed him?" Angela looked confused. "It's odd. I don't feel jealous."

"That's probably the imprint. Utterly certain of him, now."

"Yes. So… come on… spill the details."

The story took her a little while to recite. The tent against the cliff wall. Bella freezing to death. Angela laughed at Jake the space heater.

"He tried to save me - convince me to choose him," Bella said. "It's funny, he told me Edward was playing a better game than he was and I didn't believe him at the time."

"I _told_ you he behaved like a normal teenage boy."

"Took me a long time to see how he manipulated me."

"He's trying to make amends now," Angela suggested.

A beep from her phone startled Bella. "Fuck. I am supposed to be with Seth."

* * *

><p>After Bella left, Angela changed from thinking about the past, to the future. The Black house was tiny. How the three children had lived in it, she did not know. Jake had moved into the twin's room. His old room was tiny and was clearly a closed in part of the old veranda almost filled by a tiny single bed.<p>

It must have been freezing out there in winter and that was where Jake had slept for his whole childhood. It wouldn't have worried him now with his own central heating from his raised body temperature, but for a child? It made her more determined to help the tribe. How many other children lived like this?

As Jake's imprint she had status in the tribe and more than a few people had worked out that if they talked to Angela about something, an issue or a child in need, she galvanized people to deal with it. She had the ear of both alphas, one of whom was the chief and the other would be the chief one day.

The school was what she was worrying about right now. In order to achieve their final certificates, the students had to have completed a certain number of hours of tuition. With all this stuff going on, and the rez closed to outsiders, school attendance had not been a high priority.

Jake slid in behind her and put his arm around her waist; hugging her in against him.

"Tell me," he said.

It still weirded her out how he knew what she was feeling. "Final year students. When this is all over, they will have to do makeup hours or days."

"Uh-huh. Good luck with that."

"I'm serious. If they want to get a baccalaureate or go to college or university, they need the actual hours. They _have_ to make it up. I just can't work out exactly how many hours they need to do."

"Why are you worrying about this now?" He wasn't accusatory, more intrigued.

"I don't know." She sighed.

"Ang?"

"It seems so silly, doesn't it?"

"No. Not silly. Talk to me." He pressed his face in against her neck.

"People talk to me, Jake."

"I know. I think it is because you listen so well."

She leaned back against him. He was so solid and so strong.

He waited for her to speak.

"I think … if I worry about things after… you know… it means that there will be a school… and kids to attend it…"

"I understand. We'll beat them."

She didn't speak.

They stood there for a long time, looking out the window of Jake's old room.


	66. Chapter 66

**Chapter 66 - I'll be home for Christmas**

_Disclaimer: the characters and all recognisable situations belong to Stephenie Meyer - this is a work of fan fiction, except for the legends and histories of the Quileute that, of course, belong to them. I pay my respects to their gods._

_Thanks to BanSidhe [ruadh sidhe] and Feebes86 for betaing and pre-reading._

* * *

><p>Bella was so tired, but she had to make the shield work. Every minute of the day when she wasn't with Josh or learning to ride a wolf with Seth, she was working at pushing it out to its greatest limit. It was so difficult. She knew the entire battle rested on her holding it for as long as she could. Long enough to protect them from the debilitating powers of Jane and Alec. And maintaining it for long enough for the wolves to try and take them out.<p>

When Josh was there, she could cover him relatively easily. More so if he was touching her. The same way that she had shielded his thoughts from Edward, the first time they met. But without him, she felt like she was wrestling with a giant, invisible rubber band. She had a creeping panic that they would all just die and it would all be her fault. She imagined her and Josh standing alone against a sea of dark cloaked shapes. The shield didn't stop a physical attack.

And she knew Josh had other shaman jobs to do during the battle, so she had to stretch her defense on her own.

Making it harder, was that Edward was often present at these sessions. He would tell her when he couldn't read the mind of someone she was trying to blanket.

The wolves were all needed elsewhere; patrols or battle training and using Edward's gift was the easiest way to tell the extent of the protection. But she would finish up sweating from the exertion and the worry.

She would get it and then it would slip away again.

This night, they were practicing on the people eating in the tribal hall. Edward couldn't be close to her because then he was under the umbrella with others and could hear their thoughts. She was glad of the small distance sometimes. He had given up trying to talk to her about their relationship but she often caught him staring at her with that intensity he had shown years ago. He would point at people as she covered them.

Wrestling with it, she felt it snap back and with a cry she lowered her head to the table and rested her aching forehead on her arms.

"Try this," she heard.

It was Old Quil with another murky looking bottle of liquid.

"Does this help headaches?" she asked him.

"Of course," he said.

"He's lying," said Edward.

"I know," she replied, reaching for the concoction. The shaman was always giving her herbal teas and brews to try and help her.

She grimaced as she took a sip. "Ugh. They are getting worse, I swear."

"Drink it all, this time," the old man insisted.

"All of it?"

"Yes." He gave her a worried look as he sat down opposite her. "And eat something."

"Yes, mom."

Esme must have heard him. A minute later Collin appeared, carrying two plates. Her plate, piled with less food that it usually was, was placed in front of her. Esme was learning.

It was still too much for her. Bella sighed.

"I'll help you eat that," the young wolf said as he slid in next to her.

"Thanks, Collin." She forked in a mouthful. "Wait a sec," she mumbled at him. "What are you doing here? Why aren't you at training with the other pack members?"

"I have a special job." Collin started enthusiastically raving about fireworks, incendiaries and Molotov cocktails.

Bella was half listening to him and idly pushing her shield out. Old Quil was still sitting there watching her as if he expected her to light up like a Christmas tree or something.

"Good," said Edward.

"Oh." She was shocked. It was easier to feel where the shield was. It didn't feel quite so nebulous. She still had to push at it, but at least she knew where it extended. "Whatever was in that drink worked. I hope you wrote the recipe down."

The old man nodded. "Of course."

She gave him a second look. He looked as worn out as she felt. "You should eat something too."

"I will."

"Have half of Bella's," said Collin with a mouthful.

Edward had already got him his own plate of food and a fork.

He nodded his thanks to the vampire. "Now, tell me how it feels," he said to Bella. "Describe it."

She sighed, but tried to explain the unexplainable to him.

A few minutes later, sharp ears picked up the sound of the pack returning for their dinner.

Bella scanned them eagerly looking for Josh. She needn't have worried; he was looking for her, too. When he found her, he hurried to her side. Collin scooted up and Josh sat with one of his long legs wrapped around behind her and rested his face on her shoulder. "Missed you," he mumbled into her shirt.

She kissed him.

"Eww," he said. "What was that?"

"Some potion Old Quil made me drink." She shoved a forkful of her dinner into his mouth. "Try this instead."

"Much better," he said with a mouthful.

"Hey, Bella," Jasper said as he sat opposite them.

"Jaz. How's it going? Should I ask?"

"Yeah… don't."

"I am sick of the sight of those tables," Josh said as he looked at the white-boards covered in the abilities of their enemies. His eyes narrowed. "Wait a second, is that right?" Josh asked the group. "I've looked at this a lot but only just noticed… height four feet eight?"

Edward glanced where he was looking. "Jane's height?" Edward checked. "Alec was maybe five feet, but he only just achieves that."

Josh looked shocked by Jane and Alec's diminutive stature. "That's smaller even than Alice, and a good two feet shorter than most of the wolf pack. She's a child," he said as if he had only just realized it.

Edward gave him a look. "The age at which history defines children has changed, but yes, I suppose they are."

"How old were they when they were turned and who did it?" Josh demanded. He sounded as if he wanted to track down the vampire who did it and kill them.

"The twins were twelve years old and it was Aro."

"He changed them himself?" Josh snorted. "So his own rules don't apply to him? I thought there was an edict against vampire children?"

"It was out of necessity. There _was_ an edict against vampire children at that time but Aro's rules have never applied to him," Edward noted. "And a lot of the Volturi are children; by your definition. Aro prefers them young given he is positively ancient at about twenty five. Marcus and Caius were both around nineteen when they were turned. The story Aro tells about the twins is that they were accused of being witches. Bad things tended to happen to people who opposed them, so they must have had some measure of their current skills as humans. Aro knew of their gifts and held off turning them until they were old enough, but the villagers took matters into their own hands and decided to try them by burning them at the stake. Aro arrived just in time to turn them after the villagers had already set the pyre alight." Edward studied the sketches. "I believe that the pain of being tortured in that way has made Jane what she is. It may have affected her mind. Having felt her power… she inflicts the exact same punishment on others… that's what it feels like… it feels as if you are burning."

Josh blinked. "Jesus. Burns hurt and they keep on hurting."

"Exactly. She is like an all-powerful child and she is Aro's favorite toy. The one thing she truly fears is that Alice will replace her in Aro's affection."

"He has always wanted Alice," Bella said. "And you," she added to Edward. She was thinking that she had to keep working at this shield, no matter how exhausted it made her.

"We fill gaps in the skill set of his guard members," Edward said.

"He'd replace people if their skills are more enhanced; like he did with Demetri and the first tracker," Jasper noted. "All part of his collection." He grinned at Josh. "Maybe you should read all the tables again, if you missed that," he teased.

"Shut up."

Bella snorted.

Jasper's phone rang. "Alice," he said before he answered it. She had gone far away from La Push to try and get a vision.

They all held their breath, and shamelessly listened in.

"Private jet… flying into Seiku… That's a tiny airfield but I know you're sure... Thursday the 9th … late afternoon."

Josh just stood and wrote the time and date on the board.

Everyone watched him do it.

"They know where to come," Jasper said after he'd hung up. "She can't be sure, once wolves get into the picture, but late afternoon or early evening works better for us. They'll go straight to the meeting place."

They had sent the scout back with the message to meet them at the site of Bree's death.

"And we don't want them to loiter overnight and feed," Old Quil said. More vampires turned, or more deaths like the hikers? No way could they explain that to the community and Charlie would be supposed to investigate it.

"I don't think they will do that," Edward suggested. "They are taking a huge risk bringing everyone." He glanced at Jasper. "Alice did say that?"

He nodded. "The wives are coming, too."

"Just like you dreamed," said Collin to Josh.

"Yeah."

He didn't look happy about it.

He'd been complaining to Bella and Jasper that he had too many dreams to know which were real. The same way Alice sometimes got overloaded with visions before a big event.

"There is just one thing— ," Jasper started.

Edward read his mind. "No witnesses."

"Pardon?" said Bella.

Edward started dialing a number. "Eleazar, may I ask you some questions about the Volturi?"

He nodded then asked questions so rapidly Bella couldn't understand him.

Bella looked at Josh who was listening intently but he shook his head; too fast for him, too.

"Thank you," Edward said as he hung up.

They all looked at him expectantly.

"Normally the Volturi bring in other vampires who are not members of the guard, to witness their trials and observe the punishment of offenders. After talking to Eleazar recently he has thought over his past with the Volturi and come to an understanding of their methods that he had not seen before.

"Aro does not often personally attend a punishing expedition," Edward said. "But when Aro wanted something or someone in particular, it was never long before evidence turned up proving that this coven or that coven had committed some unpardonable crime. The ancients would decide to go along to watch the guard administer justice. And then, once the coven was all but destroyed, Aro would grant a pardon to one member whose thoughts, he would claim, were particularly repentant. Always, it would turn out that this vampire had the gift Aro had admired. Always, this person was given a place with the guard. The gifted vampire was won over quickly, always so grateful for the honor. There were no exceptions."

"Freaky coincidence," said Collin.

"We made it easy for him, by killing his scout, Santiago," Jasper said.

"Yes, he would, no doubt have found some other 'crime' that the Olympic Coven had committed within the next few years."

"To take Edward and Alice?" Bella asked.

"That is how he got Demetri," Edward said.

"So the witnesses thing?" Old Quil checked. "Why is that important?"

"He doesn't want any," Josh guessed.

"Exactly," said Edward. "If he has got so blatant that he does not want observers, then the Volturi are abusing the trust all immortals have placed in them."

"They are like crooked cops," said Collin.

"Does it matter?" Jasper asked. "Eleazar can only see this because he was part of them for so long. No one else will see it and if they did, who would believe it? And even if others could be convinced that the Volturi are exploiting their power, how would it make any difference? No one is crazy enough to stand against them."

"Except us," said Bella.

"And we don't have time to convince anyone to help us," said Edward.

"So at least we don't have a pile of extra vampires to deal with," Josh said. "As far as I am concerned this is what we knew was going to happen, the fact that we are now ridding the world of crooked vampire cops is irrelevant."

"But it's a bonus," said Jasper.

"It doesn't change your mind?" Josh checked.

"Oh, no," said Edward. "The family would be here for Bella in any case."

Bella laughed nervously. She hated being the cause of all this.

"And to abide by the treaty," Old Quil reminded them with a glint in his eye.

"Wait a sec… the 9th?" Jasper said. He looked at Josh. "They're early."

"Only by a couple of days." Josh looked overjoyed to hear it. "It's perfect." He pumped his fist.

"Why?" Bella asked.

"I said a waning moon, but now…" He made a happy sound.

"And they'll be at the field right on sunset. The gods _love_ you guys," Jasper said, with a chuckle.

"I don't understand," Bella complained.

Old Quil patted her hand across the table. "A waning moon means the moon is decreasing in size, moving from the full moon towards the new moon."

"So if they are early, it will still be a full moon," she said.

"Yes and—"

"Fuck!" she interrupted. "They will think you are werewolves!"

"It's perfect," Josh repeated.

[oops - I got confused with movie-verse and said Marcus was 40 - bad MTR. Fixed now. Thank jalice223 for pointing that out.]


	67. Chapter 67

**Chapter 67 - I'll be home for Christmas**

_Disclaimer: the characters and all recognisable situations belong to Stephenie Meyer - this is a work of fan fiction, except for the legends and histories of the Quileute that, of course, belong to them. I pay my respects to their gods._

_Thanks to BanSidhe [ruadh sidhe] and Feebes86 for betaing and pre-reading._

[AN: okay… I have cried all the tears and written the next four chapters. So TISSUE warning for the next four chapters… maybe for the rest of the story… yeah, that'll work.

And happy birthday to Benjamin Bratt (my Josh) who turned 50 yesterday December 16th.]

* * *

><p>Everyone handles things differently. Some stress about things that they can't change, some worry, some are secure in their belief in themselves.<p>

Edward and Jasper spent the last two days standing in the clearing where the Victoria's newborn army had attacked. They didn't hunt, they didn't move and they didn't even talk. Standing there with utter stillness, just in case Alice and Josh were both wrong or the Guard sent a scout or whatever. Edward knew what Jasper was thinking but kept his own thoughts to himself.

Esme cooked and fussed over people; especially anyone who was pregnant or expecting a child. She made arrangements with Angela for charities to support the tribe in the future. She told Angela how happy she was to have some deeper contact with Quileute. She had always felt bad that their very presence made the tribal youth change and grow up so very fast. Angela assured her that it was a concern but it was the tribal heritage and they had nearly lost it before the Cullens came there.

Emmett and Rose went back to the Cullen house and fucked themselves silly.

Alice avoided everyone and no one was brave enough to ask her why in case she told them.

Carlisle spent hours arranging supplies for the tribal medical center; he had been taking blood from the wolves for weeks so that it could go back into their own bodies if they needed a transfusion. They had fridges full of it. The wolves recovered from donating within hours, of course. He also spent some time with Sue making make-shift ambulances out of pickup trucks and training a few extra tribes-people in basic first aid. It was different to normal first aid - more shape shifter friendly. They would drive the vehicles out and have them close to the clearing, just in case of serious injuries. They had learned from the time Jake broke half the bones in his body and had to be carried home by the pack on foot. Nobody wanted a repeat of that day.

People made their own arrangements for what to do if the pack didn't stop the Volturi.

No wolves could be on patrol in case they were spotted, so they all stayed human and close to home; spending their last night with family or loved ones.

The last night, Sam watched Emily breastfeed the new baby and then they slept on their sides, foreheads together and the baby lying between them. Little Caleb snuffled and squirmed and wriggled as he slept, and that was what Sam needed to see - life.

Quil slept flat on his back, snoring gently, his meaty arms wrapped around his women and his heart full. Ellen smiled at his snoring and patted him contentedly. She'd never admit it, but she adored him. Candie had found a relationship that she thought a dream.

Paul and Rachel argued about baby names for too long before they fell asleep.

Jared and Kim slept the slumber of the truly happy.

Brady had been helping Collin make fireworks for the last couple of days and Lucas complained agreeably about all their towels smelling like cordite. By the last night he was particularly stressed. Brady listened to Lucas' worries until he felt almost as concerned. Then he convinced his mate to lie down and let him give him a massage. He worked at rubbing out all the knots in the muscles of his back but his hands on Lucas led to other things and before long they were indulging in the best form of stress relief.

Charlie and Sue had too much to say and too little time to say it in.

Jake and Angela barely said a word to each other but they kept up a constant dialog of touch; never breaking contact with the other.

Collin had dinner with his parents and then thought over all the fuses he had set and whether they were getting wet right now or not.

Niki and Joy discussed all their plans for their new baby.

Leah and Billy made love and then once Billy had fallen asleep Leah snuck out.

Embry heard her before she knocked. He opened the door looking as if she had just woken him up, with tousled hair and sleepy eyes and it made her heart hurt; it was so familiar to her.

He waited for her to speak. She had her hands shoved down inside her pockets and she looked tense and tight.

He blinked at her and scratched his stomach. "Did you want to come in?" he asked.

She wouldn't look at him.

"Leah?"

It all came out in a rush. "I know this isn't the right time and I'm not even sure what I am doing here but I wanted to tell you something before tomorrow. You know… just in case."

"I get it." In case we all die or lose. He didn't say it.

"Not that I think we will lose I just—" She shrugged.

He waited. She still hadn't said anything.

"Leah?" he asked after a few seconds of silence.

She huffed out a breath. "I just thought you should know that I'm sorry."

"Sorry?"

"Yeah. You were good for me."

He was a little surprised. "Okay," he managed.

She didn't say anything else and he knew she wouldn't come in if asked her again. She wasn't offering anything else. But an apology was good; he'd take that. And he knew he had some things to say to her, but he'd said them before and she knew how he felt about her. So he didn't say them again. "Thanks, Leah."

She nodded quickly and ran away.

He slept well for the first time in ages.

* * *

><p>Josh and Bella played with their grandchildren and then he had to go prepare some ritual with Old Quil. When he got back to their cabin she was in bed. He leaned over to check on her and she grabbed him. They came together in a kind of desperate rush.<p>

"I'm sorry," she apologized.

"Never apologize for that."

"I just feel… as if I can hold you close enough or tight enough that I can keep you under my skin and I won't lose you."

"You won't lose me."

"I feel so selfish because I keep wishing that you won't get hurt and then I think of all the other people I don't want to get hurt as well and I don't have enough wishes for them all."

"I hope wishes are infinite, like love."

"Isn't it against the rules to wish for more wishes?'

"Wish them anyway."

"I want to sleep with you inside me," she told him. "Can you do that?"

"I can try."

* * *

><p>The next day - the last day, they all seemed to hang together at the tribal hall. Telling the ancient legends one last time. And for the first time to vampires.<p>

The tribal stories of their traditions and all the other stories, like the time Charlie, Billy, Quil and Harry nearly got arrested. Josh remembered a few stories they had all hoped everyone had forgotten and then Billy tried to tell stories about Josh's activities, and Charlie just started shaking his head. Josh hid behind Bella and she laughed.

The pack told their stories, too. They laughed at Bella attacking a werewolf to fight for Jake.

"Jeez," Paul complained. "She was so hard to get rid of. Remember when she came out and we were all hiding in the Black house?"

"I did wonder how you all fitted inside," she laughed.

Sam laughed with her.

Angela just shook her head. "Fearless," she said.

Steve and Mark, Charlie's deputies sat there with wide eyes; taking it all in. Seeing people they thought they knew in a new light.

Bella hugged her father, hard. "I don't care what happens tomorrow," she told him. "Coming to live with you changed my life in ways I could never had foreseen."

"Mine too, kiddo." He jigged his head at Sue.

"Took you long enough," Bella chided.

"Sue was worth waiting for," Charlie said.

Sue heard him and leaned over and kissed him.

"I'm glad I stopped running," Bella said. "And I'm glad I came home." She put her arm around Josh and he pulled her closer. "Because this is my home, now and I can never explain how much what you are all doing means to me."

The wolves's appetites were unaffected but most of the humans just picked at their meals or didn't even try to eat.

The hugs, embraces and the kisses were all exchanged there before people split off to their appointed tasks or waited back at La Push. In one sense, Bella was glad she would be there, she could not imagine waiting back in the village to hear the results.

She hugged all the Cullens that were there and she noticed more than a few others did as well. If nothing else, vampire werewolf relations would never be the same again.

They all set out for the field just after lunch.

Bella and Old Quil drove up in one of the 'ambulances' and he handed her yet another bottle to drink.

Everyone jumped when Charlie's phone rang. "They're here. Some fool just left an empty jet at Seiku."

They all got into position.

* * *

><p>Seiku airport wasn't exactly busy. It handled about 400 flights a year; none of which were international. They were all rerouted to land at William R. Fairchild International Airport, just outside of Port Angeles. The tiny town of Seiku was thirty miles dead North of Forks and the entire population was less than fifty people. It was a summer tourist destination.<p>

So the guy working on the engine of his own light plane, noticed the mid size private jet turn to land and wondered if it had the right place. The day was overcast with low cloud and they landed perfectly. It was an excellent piece of piloting to even stop it on the 2,997 foot runway. He had often laughed that some pilots needed the extra three feet whenever he called it three thousand feet and someone corrected him over it.

Catching sight of the hooded and cloaked figures that alighted from the plane and moved with an oddly elegant gait, he decided that they were a rock band. What was that style called? Gothic. That was it. But then one of the figures turned as if it heard him make a noise. He caught sight of a face and it looked too pale, even for a Goth and there was something very odd about the eyes. He changed his mind and thought maybe they were those weird circus freaks. Cirque du Soleil? That was the name. It must be them. They were about the weirdest thing he could think of. Maybe they weren't bright enough to be circus freaks?

He glanced around. What was odder still, was that there were no buses or limousines waiting for them and there must have been more than thirty of them in the group. All in those super long cloaks. And there was no obvious flight crew or pilots. They just parked the jet and walked away from it like it was a car in the parking lot at a Wal-Mart.

And they moved with a strange gliding walk. He watched them glide right past the admin building.

The airport administrator, Roy, ran out of the building to try and intercept them. He was shouting, "Hey! You can't leave that there!"

One of the cloaked figures veered away from the group, the rest of whom continued on without losing a step, and spoke to him and then Roy just stood there and watched them all walk away.

He went back to his engine, but when he looked up again, The admin was still standing there. He hadn't moved.

"Roy? Hey Roy!" he called out as he jogged over to him. "What was that about? Where did the circus freaks come from?"

No answer.

He glanced behind him to see the group still moving; they just kept walking, right across the road and into the forest. And they seemed to be getting faster.

"Roy?" He shook him a little. "Did they all lodge their paperwork before hand. Electronically?"

"Who?" Roy asked. He still looked blank.

"That big bunch of people who all just got off the jet." The mechanic pointed at the parked jet. "That jet!"

Roy blinked, really slowly - too slowly - and then he asked, "Where did that come from?"

The mechanic peered into his eyes. "Are you on drugs? What the Hell are we going to do with it? No one else can land."

He shook himself. "Crap. We should call the cops."

"Which ones?"

"Try Forks Police first. If they can't handle it they will know who to call."

"I'll make the call," the mechanic suggested. "You are off your head."

* * *

><p>[AN: Stephenie Meyer said in an interview, when asked how the Volturi traveled, "The Volturi can be extremely civilized, now they have their own jet, of course, and they are quite able to use public transportation if there was ever a need." I can't imagine the whole lot of them traipsing through the international airport, and trying to explain to security why they don't have any luggage, so I made them land closer to Forks.]<p> 


	68. Chapter 68

**Chapter 68 - I'll be home for Christmas**

_Disclaimer: the characters and all recognisable situations belong to Stephenie Meyer - this is a work of fan fiction, except for the legends and histories of the Quileute that, of course, belong to them. I pay my respects to their gods._

_Thanks to BanSidhe [ruadh sidhe] and Feebes86 for betaing and pre-reading._

[AN: okay… hold onto your everything and don't forget to vote in the fandom choice awards. I've been nominated five times… thefandomchoiceawards. blogspot. com. au

Thanks!]

* * *

><p>The Cullens waited for the Volturi. The sun had just set, but they stood out. They looked startlingly light; dressed in shiny white outfits. The Volturi did not know Alice well enough to know that she was already dying inside at the ignominy of being seen wearing this.<p>

"We look like a cult," she hissed at her husband. "Or a 1970's ABBA tribute band. You know the 70's was a bad decade for fashion. I hate this. And I have a headache."

"Hush now, darlin'," he said to her.

They had chosen the clearing deliberately; both for the familiarity of it to Jane and Felix, so they would know where to meet them and for the wolves who liked the terrain and had fought there before. No wildflowers bloomed there at this time of year and it was covered in a light dusting of freshly fallen snow. The wolves liked the surrounding tree cover and the forest ringed the cleared space. The forest belonged to the wolves. It was their place. But they had a speed advantage in the open as well and there were patches of elevated ground around it, too.

Alice's headache was making her very terse but for appearances sake, she tried to look bright and bouncy, as she usually did.

Esme looked as nervous as Bella felt. "What if they just attack us?" she asked. "Without warning?"

"They won't," Carlisle answered. "They haven't fought a fair fight in about twenty-five hundred years. And they've never, never fought one where they were at a disadvantage. Especially since they gained Jane and Alec, they've only been involved with unopposed slaughterings."

"Don't say that word," Rose muttered.

"Fight?" Emmett teased.

She smiled at him, but she looked bleak.

"We can do this," Bella said. "We just… _have_ to."

Bella could taste the last few drops of one of Old Quil's potions in her mouth; bitter and heavy on the turmeric as Josh had once told her the shaman used in all his potions. The foul taste lingered but it reminded her that she could do this. That flavor was associated in her mind with getting the shield right.

And it needed to be, for the tribe members standing with them were human.

They stood; flanking the Cullens. Others were hidden in the woods behind and around them. Jake stood with Quil, Embry and Paul by his side. Billy had Sue, Niki, and Ellen.

She resisted the urge to glance up at the small piece of higher ground where her father and his deputies were hidden. Not that anything with a heartbeat was really hidden from vampires. Josh was close, performing some kind of ritual with Old Quil. Her wolf mount Seth, was saddled and hidden in the trees.

She kept telling herself that once they phased, if she covered Josh and the alphas, she shielded them all. But they were completely reliant upon her now.

"They're coming," Edward said as he heard the brain signatures of their enemies.

_**They came with pageantry, with a kind of beauty._

_They came in a rigid, formal formation. They moved together, but it was not a march; they flowed in perfect synchronicity from the trees—a dark, unbroken shape that seemed to hover a few inches above the white snow, so smooth was the advance. The outer perimeter was gray; the color darkened with each line of bodies until the heart of the formation was deepest black. Every face was cowled, shadowed. The faint brushing sound of their feet was so regular it was like music, a complicated beat that never faltered._

_At some sign she did not see—or perhaps there was no sign, only millennia of practice—the configuration folded outward. The motion was too stiff, too square to resemble the opening of a flower, though the color suggested that; it was the opening of a fan, graceful but very angular. The gray-cloaked figures spread to the flanks while the darker forms surged precisely forward in the center, each movement closely controlled._

_Their progress was slow but deliberate, with no hurry, no tension, no anxiety. It was the pace of the invincible._

_This was almost my old nightmare. The only thing lacking was the gloating desire I'd seen on the faces in my dream—the smiles of vindictive joy. Thus far, the Volturi were too disciplined to show any emotion at all. They also showed no surprise or dismay at the collection of figures that waited for them here—a collection that looked suddenly disorganized and unprepared in comparison.**_

They showed no surprise at the Quileute standing with them but that could have been their training or the fact that Bella, still human, couldn't tell if they were surprised. She couldn't help counting. There were twenty-nine of them. Even if you did not count the two drifting, black-cloaked waifs in the very back, whom she took to be the wives—their protected position suggesting that they would not be involved in the attack— they were still outnumbered.

"They killed their own messenger," Jasper said to Emmett. That accounted for the three missing members. Demetri, Santiago and the nameless vampire who had to tell Aro they opposed him. That hinted that Aro was not happy about this at all.

The Guard flanked the three leaders. The wives and weaker members were hidden at the back. They were meant to be an audience. If Josh was right, this show was for them as well; a show of strength to members with flagging loyalty.

Edward whispered, "We were right. They come to destroy, to acquire Alice and me, and to turn Bella. Aro plans to do that himself. She is not to remain human; he'd prefer her as a vampire, but dead will do as well. And his wife should be concerned about his interest in her, too."

Esme gasped; a tiny noise but Bella heard it and gave her a worried glance. She couldn't hear what Edward was saying and it concerned her.

"How much time do we have?" Carlisle asked Edward in the same extremely low tone.

"They will play all the diplomatic games; it's a habit." Louder now, he said to Bella. "They mean to turn you, Bella."

Jake shivered and glared at the approaching silent dark figures.

She was instantly furious. All the years she had spent running and hiding to avoid bringing this very situation down on her family and her friends. For half a second she almost wished to be as strong as they were, but then she felt her heart beat and the hot blood pump through her veins and she knew that what she wanted was the right to choose her future.

And she chose life; love and the warm body of Joshua Uley beside her. "No," she said.

Quil winked at her. Embry was still staring at the guard.

_**The procession halted. The low music of perfectly synchronized movements turned to silence. The flawless discipline remained unbroken; the Volturi froze into absolute stillness as one._

_They stood about a hundred yards away from the waiting line of people._

_The shadowed Volturi faces were still expressionless for the most part. Only two sets of eyes betrayed any emotion at all. In the very center, touching hands, Aro and Caius had paused to evaluate, and the entire guard had paused with them, waiting for the order to kill. The two did not look at each other, but it was obvious that they were communicating. Marcus, though touching Aro's other hand, did not seem part of the conversation. His expression was not as mindless as the guards', but it was nearly as blank. Like the one other time Bella had seen him, he appeared to be utterly bored.**_

Aro's red eyes, clouded with age, flicked across the line up.

"He's extremely pleased to see Alice here, he feared she might run," Edward narrated. "Although now he is worried what visions she has had and whether she shared those visions with us."

Jasper held himself so rigid, even Bella could see it. "The sun set an hour ago," he said.

Bella knew that meant the moon would rise soon and once it did, there would be no more talking.

"Yeah," Emmett growled. "Bring it on."

_** "Should I speak?" Carlisle asked Edward._

_Edward hesitated, then nodded. "This is the only chance you'll get."_

_Carlisle squared his shoulders and paced several steps ahead of the defensive line. Esme looked terrified._

_He spread his arms, holding his palms up as if in greeting. "Aro, my old friend. It's been centuries."_

_The white clearing was dead silent for a long moment. They could feel the tension rolling off Edward as he listened to Aro's assessment of Carlisle's words. The strain mounted as the seconds ticked by._

_And then Aro stepped forward out of the center of the Volturi formation. The shield, Renata, moved with him as if the tips of her fingers were sewn to his robe._

_For the first time, the Volturi ranks reacted. A muttered grumble rolled through the line, eyebrows lowered into scowls, lips curled back from teeth. A few of the guard leaned forward into a crouch.**_

Aro's personal bodyguard had to be actually touching him to shield him, so she stood close behind his shoulder. He smiled at them all as if he had just run into them at the mall and hadn't traveled thousands of miles to eradicate every trace of them from the earth.

_**Aro held one hand up toward the guard. "Peace."_

_He walked just a few paces more, then cocked his head to one side. His milky eyes glinted with curiosity._

"_Fair words, Carlisle," he breathed in his thin, wispy voice. ** _"They seem out of place, considering you have broken the rules of our society." He cocked his head at the humans standing with them. "You know that interaction with humans must not draw wide attention."

"I have my reasons," Carlisle answered. "They are our allies."

The guard reacted to this more openly than before, with snarls and hisses of protest, but held their position.

Aro had moved too far from the guard for Renata's liking. Renata, clinging closer to Aro than ever, whimpered in anxiety.

"Master," she whispered.

"Don't fret, my love," he responded. "All is well." To Carlisle, he said, "Your _reasons_ condemn these people to death."

Silence was his answer from the people concerned.

"Such a waste," a female voice spoke. "Can't we keep that tall one?"

Bella wasn't sure who it was but it sounded familiar. Jake lifted his top lip and almost growled at her. Clearly she had checked him out.

"Heidi," Aro rebuked. "We should retain our manners."

Edward spoke again, "She is confused; her fisher charms are not working on the men."

"It's the imprints," Emmett said. "They are immune to her."

"Angela will love that," Jake chuckled. The laugh, small as it was, heartened them all.

Aro changed tack. "Ah… Isabella and Edward, the young lovers," he said. "I did see an invitation to the wedding but I hear that it did not go ahead. My condolences."

Edward nodded his head respectfully.

Aro looked back at the cloaked figures. "And Marcus, you were so certain of the strength of their bond."

Waving an indolent hand, Marcus looked annoyed. "Something must have changed. I _never_ make mistakes."

Aro uttered a high pitched laugh that was so eerie that everyone shuddered.

Marcus looked even more annoyed.

Ignoring him, Aro turned his attention back to Edward. "May I?" he held up his hand. He needed to make contact to see Edward's memories but if he touched him, their plan would be exposed. If he touched anyone, especially Edward, he would know all their thoughts and the plan would be blown.

"No," Edward said simply.

"No?"

"The reasons why the marriage did not proceed are our own."

Caius hissed at the insult. "Broken promises have consequences. You promised, Alice, that she would be a vampire."

"You showed me that future," Aro added. He was studying them carefully with his milky eyes.

Alice made an elegant shrug. "You saw that all her futures led to that." She paused. "All the futures that I could see at _that_ time."

Bella supposed it was because she hadn't yet changed her mind. When she had met the Volturi she was absolutely bound and determined to be with Edward in every way. Until she thought of herself.

And now she needed to think of everyone else. While they were talking, Bella concentrated on holding her shield in place over the few people standing with her. Initially they all had to be physically close to her. It would not be long before Jane would try to hurt them.

Marcus interrupted with a terminally bored hand wave. "It is of no matter. They have broken the rules and they do not intend to apologize for it." He frowned as he actually looked at the people arrayed against them.

"Bella," Edward warned as he read Jane's thoughts.

"I know," she replied through gritted teeth. Jane was attacking them while Aro was distracted.

"Alec, too?" Jasper asked.

A nod was Edward's reply.

They had no idea how his attack would manifest.

"I see it," said Ellen. "It looks like a clear haze, close to the ground."

"Got it," said Niki. "It oozes. If mist can ooze."

"Hold, Bella," Billy commanded.

Bella was panicking inside. What if she failed to stop them both? What if this odd mist just pushed right through her barrier? She tried to expand it out but then was frightened of it snapping back on her as it had done so many times before. Where was Josh? What was he doing? She concentrated on keeping the shield over her friends.

The mist crept inexorably across the ground.

And then the mist eddied around something. It was as if had been shifted by a gust of wind, but no wind moved the snow on the ground. As more of the mist reached that point, it started to climb up as if it had struck a barrier or a wall.

A wall that looked like legs. They were lit with a golden glow on the edges where the oozing mist touched them. It was so obvious in the twilight of the clearing.

The guard all hissed again.

A wall of legs stood between them and the Volturi. They stood at the outer edge of Bella's shield. She nearly sobbed when she saw them.

"You can do it, Bells," Embry said.

The hint of figures coalesced, becoming clearer as the mist built up. The mist climbed and now she could see they were all male, unlike the wolves of today, wearing buckskin leggings and breechcloths - their chests bare like the men standing behind them.

"Fuck," Paul swore. "Spirit warriors."

"They're singing," said Sue with wonder in her voice.

The Volturi guard were all ancient. The leaders themselves were last alive in the time of ancient Greece around 1300 BC. Jane and Alec were among their newest members and dated from 800 AD. Heidi from the sixteenth century. They were all very old and very superstitious. They had to be, to even believe that they could exist in the state that they did. They were the walking dead. Swift moving and powerful creatures of death. They saw magic every minute of every day.

Nervous chatter broke out in the formation. Cloaks shifted and moved as they strained to see what was happening. Some threw them back off their heads to see better. But they still didn't have an order to attack.

"This is their land," Carlisle called out to the leaders, as he waved a hand at Billy. "The Quileute people have lived here for thousands of years. I told you that they were our allies."

"And we do NOT like invaders," Billy stated.

Carlisle had told them that Marcus existed in a state of constant apathy, ever since the loss of his mate Didyme, but that his vampire skill was relationship recognition. It didn't sound impressive, but he could see the bonds between people; leaders, lovers, and family. And love? Seeing bonds of love animated him; reminded him of his own lost love. He had become more animated when he had met Edward and Bella in Italy.

Bella saw his head move suddenly; a motion that seemed against his character. No longer apathetic, his eyes darted from the Cullens to the men and then he stared at her. He took two steps toward Aro and away from the ranks of the guard.

"What is this?" he demanded. "How can they _all_ love you?"

Bella didn't think he was talking to her, but he seemed to be glaring at her.

"Marcus?" Aro asked. "What is it?"

"The bonds between the Cullens are… intense, but the others? I have never seen anything like it." He had clearly detected the imprints. Quil and Ellen glanced at each other. Marcus pointed at them with an outstretched hand. "These two, and _her_."

Aro grabbed the hand rather than ask him what he saw, or wait for him to explain it.

"And there's more," Marcus said as he glanced off to the side.

Perhaps he was looking where Josh was, but whatever it was, they had seconds left.

"The moon," Billy shouted. He put his head back and howled. The animal noise came out of his human throat and sounded more bizarre for it.

The full moon finally peeked above the trees of the surrounding forest.

Quil let out an earsplitting roar.

He had watched the Underworld movies way too many times. Jake always complained about it. Quil's argument was that he was in love with Kate Beckinsale at least until he met Ellen and Candie. Part of Ellen's attraction for Quil may have been that she wore leather pants as well as Selene the death dealer did in the movie.

All the vampire eyes were focused on him as he tore at his shirt, falling to his knees and writhing in a spectacular fashion. The rest of the pack imitated him but Quil's performance was stellar. His back bowed and he growled as he phased, rolled over and an enormous chocolate wolf stood where the burly man's body had been. Tattered clothing fell around him.

They needed Caius to believe that they were actual werewolves, affected by the moon and not shapeshifters.

Caius shrieked with fear. The truth was that he was terrified of werewolves. He almost lost a fight with one a few thousand years ago and never got over it.

A few more wolves crept out of the forest behind the Cullens. The alphas stuck close to Bella. She concentrated hard on maintaining the shield. With Old Quil's potion she could feel when each wolf phased and came under her protection.

Caius screeched, "Children of the moon!" His lip lifted and he sneered at them. "You have deliberately stooped so low-"

Aro's head flung around to look. His face changed abruptly. "You ally with werewolves? You KNOW that is forbidden!"

Carlisle called out loudly and clearly, "Marcus? As your old friend, listen to me. You should know the truth. Didyme? Aro's sister? He killed her when he found out you both wanted to leave. Chelsea binds you here but the source of your joy, and that of many others, is gone."

"Not now," Aro pleaded with Marcus who was just staring at him.

Didyme's gift had been like Jasper's, but all she could do was make others happy. People fell in love with her all the time, but Marcus had been the only one whose love she returned. Faced with the loss of Marcus; a powerful ally, Aro had destroyed her. His lust for power owed no fealty to his own family. Carlisle had seen it when he lived with them and a few questions asked of other friends who had escaped the Volturi since then had cemented his suspicions. Aro's reaction confirmed it.

"He lies," Aro shouted.

"He is remembering it now," Edward shouted. "He gave her his blessing to leave with you, but he lied." He started to describe a room, the gown she was wearing as she and Aro argued.

It was clearly the truth. And Marcus knew it.

"Silence!" Aro roared at Edward. It cut off with a jerk as Marcus' hands closed around his throat. "You don't believe him?" he squawked.

Marcus had jerked Aro away from the contact with his bodyguard. Renata's gift repelled vampires who tried to touch the person she guarded. But Marcus was so angry and so incensed that any thoughts she planted in his mind were overridden by his need to hurt Aro. And plus, he was one of the leaders of the guard. She was supposed to guard _all three_ in a battle. She stood, confused, waiting for orders, exposed behind Aro and unsure of her what to do when the Volturi council attacked each other.

And then her head exploded into fragments as a sniper shot took her out.

[** italics - quoted from Breaking Dawn p494 et al]


	69. Chapter 69

**Chapter 69 - I'll be home for Christmas**

_Disclaimer: the characters and all recognisable situations belong to Stephenie Meyer - this is a work of fan fiction, except for the legends and histories of the Quileute that, of course, belong to them. I pay my respects to their gods._

_Thanks to BanSidhe [ruadh sidhe] and Feebes86 for betaing and pre-reading._

* * *

><p>Josh and Old Quil sat cross legged with each hand holding the end of their own spirit stick and the other hand holding the end of the other's. They formed a small circle of two, with the sticks as the link between them. They chanted and sang.<p>

With his greater wolf hearing Josh could hear the comments when the spirits appeared. He was helping Bella the best way he could. And when the pack had taken the twins out, he could phase and then he could help the packs. Without him as the bridge between them it would be difficult, but without Bella they would all fall. He poured his love for her into the song.

Jasper flooded the assembled vampires with doubt and despair. He just broadcast it at full volume towards them. Bella's shield didn't keep his gift out, so she couldn't protect her friends from the despair, but they only needed the guard to doubt for a few seconds before the wolves phased and attacked them.

The wolves screamed at the red-eyed cold ones. Their blood knew them as their enemy.

There was an instant after the first gunshot when the vampires didn't react; they stood, lost in disbelief that the Cullens had taken to modern weapons and leaderless as their leaders fought amongst themselves. Marcus was still trying to strangle Aro.

The Guard hesitated. Victims of Jasper's gift.

The Cullens moved when the wolves did. Everyone sprang into action. Edward scooped Bella up and rushed her to meet wolf Seth; already dashing out of the forest towards them. He was wearing the riding harness on his back. Edward helped her up and she grabbed the hand straps. They had practiced for hours but riding a wolf running at full speed was nothing like riding a horse, no matter how much Seth tried to keep his gait even and his back level for her. She had to be in the battle to shield the others but she could not run at human speed and survive. Nor could she concentrate on maintaining the shield while the wolf was running. The plan was that the Cullens would guard her.

She had to keep the shield protection up until Jane and Alec were ash. She could feel the thrum of tension in Seth's body as he held still, safe for the moment behind the wall of spirit warriors.

"Edw-" she tried to say but he cut her off.

"I'll be near," he said and then he was gone in a white streak.

Under the light of the full moon she saw the wolves dart off in all directions but she could only tell shades of darkness and not actual colors.

She could feel Jane and Alec battering at her shield. She was so terrified it would fail. If she had been a vampire, her skill would have been amplified and much easier for her to hold for any length of time, but she was still human. The Cullens and the pack had to hit the twins hard and fast just in case it did. No other guard members had skills that worked the way theirs did.

The golden light of the spirit warriors strengthened her. Josh was here for her.

Charlie and the deputies were using sniper rifles and night vision scopes. Thermal imaging was pointless with vampires as they have no body heat. They had one chance to get it right. The second bullet in each gun was a tracer round and once the fires started the light through the scope would blind them. Once they removed the scopes, their eyes would take time to adjust before they could aim properly and fire again. They tried, but could not target the twins as they stood among the guard; they were too short and their bodies were hidden behind their much taller companions.

The white reflective outfits of the Cullens would show up as bright bodies in the night scopes. A safety strategy in case they had to keep firing.

A second shot rang out, just after the first, but light streaked across the sky and hit the still stone body of Renata where she lay in front of the guard formation. The heat from the incendiary round and the flammable venom that made up her body, combined and flames started to lick up from her corpse.

The second sniper aimed for Chelsea just as a wolf was about to hit her. She wore a cloak almost as black as the leaders and it marked her out. The wolf changed tack and threw her body on top of her companion. They would burn together. With Chelsea gone, she could not break the bonds between the alphas and the pack members. That had been a major risk as well. Cut off from the mind share of their alpha, they would be fair game for the twins.

The third sniper hit Corin.

Weeks of planning and discussion had set those two as main targets after Renata. They weren't the strongest or the fastest, but those two vampires held the Volturi together. Chelsea broke existing bonds and forged new ones where none had existed before and Corin kept people feeling content. Her main duty lay in keeping the last two wives and Chelsea happy. And the wives were not happy to hear what had happened to their friend and that Aro had lied to them for thousands of years. Even if they lost the battle, without those two, Aro could not reform the Volturi in anything like the numbers that it had today. The Volturi had been kneecapped.

Members held by forced bonds of compulsion had no love and no loyalty when the source of those bonds was no more.

The Cullens fought in a loose circle around Bella and Seth. Esme had sprinted off to protect the snipers, but Rose was in the thick of things. Emmett had always said she could look after herself. But in protecting her, the Cullens had marked Bella as strategic.

Jane worked it out. "It's HER!" she screamed, as she pointed at Bella. "She's a shield! She's shielding them all."

Felix was screaming orders, but so was Jane and no one was sure whom to take notice of. He pointed up the hill to where the snipers were and Heidi ran towards them. Rose left the Cullen group around Bella to run after Heidi and help Esme.

Some of the lesser Guard members went to protect the wives and others, led by the twins, attacked. One, right at the back, tried to run away, wanting no part of this battle. It was Afton. He had been almost invisible up till then, but a spirit warrior had played golden light onto him and then when his mate Chelsea had been shot, he had run. He was a senior guard in name only and by association with her. He had no other skills.

The Guard had nine senior members, two of whom were already dead before the battle started. Another three were now gone. The twins' gifts were thwarted and the Guard was down to four. Seventeen more vampires made up the rest of the coven.

More wolves erupted out of the forest behind the assembled Volturi. Led by Leah. Afton ran right into them.

Caius looked confused and distracted by the wolves he hated. He had no vampire gifts other than an endless thirst for killing and fighting. Those he loved more than anything. Violence was always his solution to any problem and it made him irrational and thoughtless. Josh had deliberately placed the smaller, weaker looking wolves near the Cullens and close to Caius. They were mostly Forties females. Ellen yelped in fake fright, turned and ran away from the battle. The temptation was too much for Caius. He ran after her and into the forest. Two of the lesser guard followed him. Chasing what they thought were small wolves, they ran straight into the trap.

Collin was with the snipers so that he could see when they removed their goggles. He had to stay human to do his job. He needed thumbs. He had spent days digging holes in the frozen ground and placing explosives and fireworks. Cedar shavings masked the scent of them. The trials had not been good though; the damp affected the charges. There was no time to light fires before the battle and no way to hide them without the Volturi knowing. He relied on remote detonators and then timed electronic fuses. One, he set at the back of the clearing with half a dozen five second delay switches. One of them had to hit something flammable. If not, it drove the vampires away from the flames.

Once the fight started in earnest and a few of his charges had failed, he lobbed in some Molotov cocktails. He could throw them quite a distance with his increased strength and if they hit a dead vampire the flammable venom made them explode into flames. The wolves threw pieces of vampires onto the fires and they climbed higher.

It was chaos. The crashing, tearing noises were so loud, and the smoke was starting to billow across the clearing. The creeping mist of Alec's power spread out around him like cold smoke.

Bella was having trouble see anything move. It was all too fast for her. She concentrated on the shield. Praying that Seth would keep her out of trouble and that Alice, Edward and Carlisle would keep her safe.

Charlie and the snipers had lost the advantage now the vampire Guards were moving, but a still, dark furless body got an incendiary shot and flames were shooting up all over the battlefield. The assembled members at the rear were fair game. They just fired into groups of dark cloaks.

Felix flung a wolf away and it hit the ground with a sickening crunch. Bella tried to see what color it was but then she told herself that if she lost it now, they were all dead. She closed her eyes. But with Seth darting and jerking, it made her feel sick with vertigo. Her arms ached where they pulled against the strap. It was firmly wrapped around her wrists but she thought her shoulders were going to pull out of their sockets.

She thought of Jake but just couldn't see a red wolf anywhere. _Josh_.

Vampires leapt huge distances to land on wolves. The weaker Volturi with the wives had to fight or die; they knew that now and they were fighting.

She heard Emmett whoop and saw a deadly streak with light hair that she thought might have been Jasper as he hit a vampire and knocked it away from a gray wolf.

The wolves attacked the twins in numbers before they lost Bella's protection. Black, brown and sandy wolves hit Alec and he went down. Too reliant upon his power to ever learn to fight properly. But Jane was different. She was fighting hard and was surrounded by animals.

"For Demetri!" Felix roared as he tried to bite a wolf. It twisted in the air to avoid his poisonous teeth but he tore its foot from its body, before he was hit by an enormous russet wolf. It sounded like a car crash. Bella could not tell Jake and Billy's wolves apart. More wolves pounded towards them. Felix dropped the bleeding dark animal to tear at the russet one with hands like talons. The wolf closed its enormous jaws around his head. Felix threw a bloody chunk of the wolf away before Bella closed her eyes, but she heard the tearing metallic screech of Felix's head leaving his body. Not Jake… oh, god, not Billy…

Yelps of pain and a scream rang out as the shield retracted from one of the alphas and recoiled back closer to her. The Cullens fighting closer to her were still protected.

"Throw the blanket, Isabella," Carlisle shouted at her.

And that was what she needed. She could imagine it now. Not as a shield; that was something she didn't really understand. It could only protect her. But a blanket? That she comprehended. She imagined that she was making a bed. She had practiced as a child and she was so proud of herself when she got that sheet flick just right. The way you lifted your arms and flicked and the sheet sailed out and covered the surface of the bed perfectly.

She got both arms free and lifted them out in front of her. Seth froze under her. She held her imaginary sheet in her hands and she raised and lowered her arms; flicking it out across the pack. The one she most desperately wanted to cover was Josh. And Jake. She knew Josh was phased now and on the field somewhere, she could feel him. When she covered them, she felt all the wolves that they were alpha of, fall under it too. She couldn't feel Billy.

She crouched lower and got one hand back into the straps. Glancing around she couldn't see Josh amongst the darting shapes and the smoke.

Seth ducked suddenly and a bullet whizzed past her ear. A velvet pile burst into flames near them. But with the jerking movements, she couldn't get her other hand back into the harness.

Fires burned but piles of bleeding fur lay across the clearing. The smoke made it worse for her to see. Things appeared and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

Marcus and Aro still fought each other. Aro kept trying to get away. He wasted valuable time talking; he argued, he lied but whatever blinkers had been over Marcus's eyes, they were gone. Aro let out a banshee wail as his wife and a guard sank under a sea of fur. Incensed, Marcus bore the brunt of his rage. He tore his arm off, threw it away and then decapitated him. Bella expected him to run for his wife, but he looked around and his eyes locked with hers.

"Seth, Aro!" she shouted.

A dark blur shot towards her. It was knocked sideways by a bright streak that could only be a Cullen; but which one? She caught a glimpse of copper hair as Seth lurched sideways and away. Her heart tumbled over with them. She wished for a second that her shield was real and substantial. "Help him, Seth."

Seth leapt towards them eager to be in the fight and to help his friend, Edward.

The strap finally tore loose and she fell with a thud, flat on her back. Winded she watched as Edward and Aro grappled. Seth was off balance with the loss of her weight and he mistimed his strike. The copper head was torn from its body before the sandy wolf flipped backwards and its jaws clamped around the long dark-haired head.

With no breath to scream she could do nothing but watch.

And then something kicked her in the head and she blacked out.

* * *

><p>Josh and the old man stared at each other. Josh gave a sharp nod when it was time for him to go. He released the spirit sticks but the old shaman continued to hold them both. Josh phased and ran for the battlefield. Old Quil lifted the sticks to cross his arms over his chest. He kept chanting. The hearts of all the Quileute were helped by the spirits. But his own heart was old and it was a strain.<p>

He had to continue; to bolster the fighters, to do what they could against these unnatural creatures of death and darkness.

But it was too much for him. He felt the first shooting pain in his left arm. He dropped the stick in his lap and clutched the arm hard against his body with the other hand and he kept chanting. His voice, so much stronger than his fragile frame. Old Quil kept chanting, but his body was failing him. As he fell sideways, toppling over slowly, his spirit rose and kept singing.

Josh felt the power rush as the mantle of shaman passed completely to him. At the exact moment he needed it.

He thanked the old man for his, as always, immaculate timing.

His wolf headed for Jane like an arrow but then Bella's shield dropped.


	70. Chapter 70

**Chapter 70 - I'll be home for Christmas**

_Disclaimer: the characters and all recognisable situations belong to Stephenie Meyer - this is a work of fan fiction, except for the legends and histories of the Quileute that, of course, belong to them. I pay my respects to their gods._

_Thanks to BanSidhe [ruadh sidhe] and Feebes86 for betaing and pre-reading._

* * *

><p>Fully expecting to be reduced to a screaming heap any second now, Josh's wolf ran down towards the battle.<p>

He was now the shaman and he attracted the golden glow of the spirit warriors. Faded and dispersed by the melee, they coalesced; clinging to his fur. The last shaman. He carried them into the heart of the fight where Jane stood upright, her hands clawed and a sea of fallen bodies writhing in agony around her. Screams and howls from tortured wolves split the air, but Josh, covered in a golden cloak of ghosts was untouched. Perhaps he shared some of Bella's shield; perhaps her wish for him to be unhurt worked, but whatever the cause, Jane saw him coming and could do nothing to stop him.

How Bella managed to cover everyone who wasn't writhing on the ground, he did not know, but he felt a surge of pride in her. He knew she could do it.

And as the mantle of shaman settled on him, so too, did the mantle of alpha. He could hear the voices of the Forties pop into his head as Bella got the shield going and covered them again. Billy must have fallen. It was the only explanation.

His wolf dug its massive paws into the ground and leapt for the diminutive vampire. A small part of him quaked at killing a person he had categorized as a child. She was so slim, she looked like a boy with lank, pale brown hair trimmed short. But something about her pretty face said girl. The wide-eyed, full lipped face would make a Botticelli angel look like a gargoyle. Even allowing for the dull crimson irises.

She may have been twelve when she was turned but, hundreds of years later, she was no innocent and his wolf had no qualms. She was evil and she was hurting his pack.

He took her down, shouting orders to his pack in his head as he did so.

* * *

><p>Charlie ran, holding the rifle and crouched low as he sprinted towards his deputies. He got there too late. Mark was crouched, his arms around his legs, rocking back and forth slowly and gazing with unseeing eyes. He was clearly in shock. "Fuck… fuck…"<p>

"Mark?" Charlie grabbed his shoulder and shook him hard.

He raised his gaze slowly. "I saw Death… she was beautiful… so beautiful…"

He'd seen Heidi as she came to take out the snipers.

Glancing around Charlie saw way too much blood and spilled venom on the snowy ground. Mark wasn't bleeding. "Who?" he asked.

"She tore him apart," Mark said. "I couldn't… take the shot… no t-time to take th-the shot…"

"Oh, Jesus, … Collin." He shook Mark again. "Was it Collin?"

Mark leaned sideways and threw up.

"Chief?" Steve looked equally horrified. He looked down at his arm where something glistened in the moonlight. He started to scrub at it with his hand. Venom spray. He frowned when he couldn't seem to get rid of it. "I don't know who this is."

"Steve, you okay?"

"I was concentrating on the targets… still firing… you know? I didn't even see her coming… eyes still adjusting… Collin was busy tossing Molotov's. He didn't go wolf… I don't know why. Do you think he saw her?"

Charlie knew why; he couldn't set off the incendiaries. He needed to stay human to do that and therefore, he was vulnerable. And he wasn't imprinted. Maybe Heidi's gifts had found a mark. But both his deputies were alive, he had to thank him for that.

"A-and then Mrs C came," Steve added. "Christ, she's got dimples… you know?" He looked at Charlie. "And Rose… Fuck! I've never seen anything like it… sounded like metal screeching."

"Is she okay? Esme?" Charlie asked.

"Death," said Mark enigmatically as he wiped his mouth on the back of his hand.

"Esme?" Charlie asked.

Steve shook his head.

"She's gone?" Charlie checked.

"Yeah. Rose took her body." He pointed down towards the clearing.

"But she's…?"

Looking down Charlie could see a lot of still bodies and fires everywhere. "Jeez, Collin did some damage." The purple smoke of burning vampires drifted across the battlefield.

"He really did," Steve agreed.

Charlie could see a knot of white clothing and he started to have a bad feeling. "I need to find Sue and Bells."

"She did it," said Steve. "I saw the dumb looks on their faces when… their… I don't know what to call it… magic… didn't work."

"Yeah," Charlie agreed. "She's extraordinary." He thought he could see two bodies near the Cullens. If Bella was there, Edward would have been close. And highly likely to do something stupid and brave; given his history with Bella Swan. And Esme… he didn't know what to think about that.

But she had done it. He could not believe that his small daughter could do it. Sue? Where the hell was Sue? He didn't think she was gone, he thought that he'd know if she was. He was sure of that.

Howls sounded as wolves articulated their losses.

"They need help; let's go." He could also hear motors starting up to ferry the injured home. He saw one bulky figure just run; carrying another.

"Crap."

He started to run down the hill.

The wolf met him halfway. She licked up his face before dashing off again.

"Oh, thank Christ," Charlie said. He knew Sue would be looking for her kids. He followed her.

They found Leah with Billy's body and then Seth found them. Phasing back to human, Sue and Leah just hugged.

"Where's Bells?" Charlie demanded.

Seth answered, "With Josh. She fell off. Banged her head. She's fine but wasn't awake last time I saw her."

"Is that… Edward?" Charlie asked as he looked towards where Rose sat.

"Yeah. Aro attacked us… me and Bells." Seth looked devastated.

"Edward saved her."

"Yes, he did. For long enough for me to finish Aro."

Charlie clapped his hand against Seth's shoulder. "Thanks, Seth."

"Thank you. That was an awesome shot."

* * *

><p>Josh peered into Bella's face. He was sitting on the ground with her held across his lap. He was rocking a little.<p>

"J-Josh?" she asked.

"Oh, Izzy." Now she could see he was crying. "It's done. You did it. The shield held. We did it… but oh, the cost. The cost has been so great."

"Let me see."

He let her sit up. Then put her back against his chest. She winced. Her back hurt where she had hit the ground. He rested his chin on her shoulder.

She looked out across the field. Edward's body lay where it had fallen. Would the Cullens burn him? Carlisle like the professional he was, was helping the wounded. Rose sat near Edward's body with her head lowered. People moved among the piles and the smoke.

"Are you hurt?" she asked him.

He shook his head. "Not badly."

"Who have we lost?" Bella asked, although she really didn't want to know, as if putting off knowing would make them less dead somehow.

Josh sighed. "The Forties took the brunt of the injuries. They were less experienced and no matter how much training they had, they really didn't know what to expect."

Two men were hugging. Brady was sobbing and the other, Lucas, looked devastated as he tried to comfort his imprint.

"Collin," she guessed.

"Yes and Michael Clearwater, and my brother Thomas-"

"Oh, Josh."

"And Old Quil's heart gave out. I don't know who else, yet."

She could see Carlisle's head bent over a body. Leah was near him, holding a second body in her arms. "Noooo," she screamed at the sky, "don't do this to me."

Carlisle stood and shook his head at Josh before moving to the other body in Leah's arms.

"And we all lost Billy," Josh added.

"Oh, my God… that means she's holding Embry," Bella guessed. "I saw him lose a paw."

Josh nodded. "Some of the pack are still running, chasing down the remnants."

"Where's Jake and Seth and everyone? Oh, I don't know what to do… I can't decide what to do first." She clutched at Josh's arms around her. "Just hold me."

"I can do that."

He started to rock again and it comforted her. They sat there and they clung to each other.

"Is Sam okay? Embry's your son," she said but she wasn't making any sense.

"I know… Shush… I know."

Some of the pack members had clearly run to get vehicles to move wounded to the medical center.

Bella watched as Quil came running up to Carlisle. "The trucks are here."

Carlisle looked at Embry. "Would you be faster?" he asked Quil.

"Yes," said Quil without hesitation.

"Then run."

Quil scooped up his unconscious friend bridal style and ran. Embry's leg stopped just below the knee. Carlisle had tied something over the wound and he had a makeshift tourniquet around his thigh to stop him bleeding out.

Leah watched them go. Her face looked ravaged. She saw Bella and nodded at her, and then sat back down next to Billy's body; her face in her hands.

Rachel ran to them. "Is that Dad? Nooo," she wailed.

Leah stood and hugged her friend. They sobbed together. Bella watched as Leah pulled herself together.

"Oh, my god. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. Your imprint just died," Rachel sobbed out.

"I know that. And Embry's hurt. Where's yours?"

"What?"

"Paul? Where is he?" Leah demanded.

Rachel shook her head. "I don't know." She looked as if she was going to panic; looking around frantically.

Leah grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her. "Feel… he's okay? Is he?"

Rachel closed her eyes and seemed to listen internally. "Yeah… yeah I think so."

"And the baby?"

"He's okay, too." Rachel put her hand over her stomach.

"Come on, then."

"Don't we get time to mourn?"

"Not now. Not when other people may die. We can do that shit later. Look at Carlisle, Rach." She waved a hand at him. "He's lost his partner and his son and he's still trying to help the wounded."

"I'll go help him," Rachel said. "You stay here."

And then Charlie and Sue reached them.

* * *

><p>"Where <em>is <em>Paul?" Bella asked Josh.

"Some of the guard ran."

"They're hunting them down."

"Jake's…" Josh shook his head. "He's so _angry_. It's probably better that he run it off. Sam and Paul went with him to make sure he doesn't do anything stupid."

"Does he know about Billy?"

"I think so. We all felt the shield fall when he did."

"Oh, is that what happened. I thought it was me."

"No, you were brilliant."

"Jake will take a while to calm down."

"Yes."

Bella heard her father's voice. "Bells?"

"Dad?" She tried to stand but Josh held her and wouldn't let her go.

"Don't get up, I hear you hit your head." Charlie brushed her hair back from her forehead as if he was looking for an injury.

"I'm okay now."

"No. We need to get that checked out. Head injuries are serious." Charlie patted Josh on the shoulder. "I… thank you," he said when he couldn't seem to find any other words.

A scream rang out. They all twitched. Josh identified it. "Saathi, Jared's mother. She's been bitten."

"Is that bad?" Charlie asked.

"Yes. It's a toxic poison to us."

"She'll die?"

Josh nodded.

Charlie sat down with a thump. "Another one."

"I think that will be eight gone," Josh supplied. "Counting Esme and Edward."

"They count," said Bella.

"They definitely do," Josh agreed.

Nobody said anything for a minute. Bella thought that if she started crying she wouldn't stop.

Charlie noticed Josh's hands were shaking. "You're exhausted," he said.

"More tired than I have ever felt in my life."

"I need to feel useful," Charlie said. "You two okay here?"

"Yes, thanks Dad."

"I'm so proud of you kiddo. That was… yeah… I can't…"

Reaching for her father's hand she just squeezed. She didn't know what to say either.

"A-are w-we free of them, now?" Charlie asked, his voice betraying the emotion and the strain.

Josh nodded. "I think so. Jake is chasing down the last few. We killed them all."

"Good. They were—"

"Evil," Josh said.

"Yep."

No-one was uninjured. But the more severely wounded took priority. They were loaded into trucks. Niki was cussing his head off and swearing that he could walk and Carlisle threatened to knock him out if he didn't shut up and lie down.

Rose still sat by Edward's body. Emmett walked up to her and pressed his hand on her shoulder. She reached up and put her hand over it and leaned her face down to touch his arm.

"It isn't your fault, Rose."

"It is… I was petty and mean and… _stupid_. So stupid. I rang him to tell him she was dead. None of this would have happened if I had handled that a little better or checked if it was true first."

"Jeez… how far back do you want to go? Let's blame your dickwad fiancé for killing you?"

She made a small noise. "Alice knew, didn't she?"

"Yeah… I reckon she did. She probably got that vision when she got the one about the jet landing."

"And she kept away from us all."

"She must have known it was unavoidable."

"Edward would have known. Distance from Alice doesn't seem to affect his ability to read her mind."

"He knew and he chose this. Don't take that away from him." Emmett made a noise. "He still loved Bella and he blamed himself for exposing her. He hated Aro and once he could read his mind and see what he really wanted Bella for—"

"Edward wanted to kill him. Aro signed his own death warrant. Nobody hides their thoughts from Edward." She paused. "Hid," she corrected herself. "And Esme?"

"Come on Rose. She was the happiest I have seen her in years, playing with babies and baking up a storm."

"She was, wasn't she? Almost as excited as when she thought Bella was going to join our family."

He patted her shoulder. "Open your eyes, Rose. There are naked Quileute men everywhere."

She managed a weak chuckle. But she stood and embraced him; a whole body hug. "You know me, don't you Emmett?"

He kissed her, holding her face in his hands. "I know you killed Heidi."

"That bitch. Ugh."

"She's no competition to you, my angel."

"Ashes and dust."

"That's my girl."

"Where are Alice and Jasper?"

"Hunting. Probably not with the wolves. None of them will escape Alice."

Rose shuddered. "Jasper knows her well, too, huh?"

"That's what he calls her, his frightening little monster."

"She must be so angry, too. She knew what would happen and could do nothing to stop it."

"If there was a better solution, Alice would have seen it. This had to be our best case scenario," Emmett said.

Rose shuddered. "I don't want to think about that."


	71. Chapter 71

**Chapter 71 - I'll be home for Christmas**

_Disclaimer: the characters and all recognisable situations belong to Stephenie Meyer - this is a work of fan fiction, except for the legends and histories of the Quileute that, of course, belong to them. I pay my respects to their gods._

_Thanks to BanSidhe [ruadh sidhe] and Feebes86 for betaing and pre-reading._

[AN: a few people have suggested that vampires should not be dead merely because they have lost their heads and been torn apart. SM's vampire abilities are _**beyond **_ridiculous. They do not make any sense. If vampires were as hard as she says, they would not be able to move at all, let alone at any speed. As the writers in the movies realized, you have to be able to kill them somehow, so they allowed decapitation to kill. Take a thing's head off and it usually dies. If you remember, that was how movie Edward and Seth killed Victoria. SM also says that modern bullets will bounce off their hard skins. I reckon a hydra-shok hollow point might take care of that; that's the ammunition Charlie used. So if decapitation will kill evil vamps, it will also kill Cullens. Sorry.]

* * *

><p>Rose was helping Sue do triage; pick which people went next.<p>

"I'm sorry about Esme and Edward, Rose," Bella told her.

Rose pressed her hand and gave her a weak smile. "Thanks, Bella. You and Josh are in the next truck," she told them both.

"Why? I just banged my head."

"You can't see Josh's back. Jane tried to claw him in two."

"What? Jesus, Josh. You told me you were fine." She tried to turn around but he held her tight.

"I need to hold you, more than I need anything else."

"Joshua Uley," Bella groused at him, "You will not be silly. You hear me?" She started to scrabble in her pocket.

"What's the matter?"

"Has anyone phoned La Push?"

"I don't know."

Bella was dialing. "Joy? … no, Niki is hurt but he's okay. Swearing a lot. The cars are on their way back now with him. Quil has Embry. He'd love to see you at the medical center." There was a pause. Bella took a deep breath. "Old Quil's heart gave out. Plus another seven are l-lost." She listed them all. "Yes… the Cullens paid a very heavy price."

"And the Blacks," said Josh.

* * *

><p>It took some time for the cars to get back to collect them and by then, Jake was back at the clearing. Still flanked by Paul and Sam. He walked with shaking legs towards the body of his father. When he got there, he fell to his knees next to it and bowed his head.<p>

Paul and Rachel ran towards each other and he held her as she cried. "I couldn't feel you," she said. "Just for a second I couldn't feel you." Her voice rising in its panic.

"I'm here. Shush now. It's done. It's over." He held her so tight that his arms were wrapped around her.

Sam walked over to where Bella and Josh were and collapsed on the ground next to them. He lay on his back with his hand over his face. He had a raking claw mark down his chest and across his stomach. It was healing, but still bleeding. "Look at you, old man," he said to Josh, when he caught sight of his back.

"I'll live. Glad you will, too, Sam. Did you get them all?" Josh asked him.

"Jasper sent us back. Said we were needed here and without us around, he and Alice can take the last one down."

"We killed them all?" Bella asked.

"Every single one of them."

"Fuck. Thirty of them? You said that before but I can't believe it." Bella could not imagine it. The Volturi had been made up of ancient gifted vampires. They hadn't lost a battle in thousands of years and the Quileute and the Cullens had wiped them out.

"Near enough." Sam rubbed his face.

"Embry's bad," Josh said. "Lost a foot. Felix."

Jake heard that. His head lifted. "Where is he?"

"Quil ran him back to the rez."

"Leah?" he asked.

"Trying to keep busy." Busy meant burning vampire parts as if her life depended on it. She was also collecting any jewels from the bodies and piling them into a rough bag made out of a piece torn off a dark gray Volturi cloak. The Volturi didn't carry weapons but they did all wear an ornate necklace of a giant V inlaid with blood red rubies. "Smart girl," said Josh.

"Emmett can sell those, too," said Bella.

Jake watched her for a few seconds. "She needs to go to Embry."

"We'll make sure she gets in the same truck as we do," Josh said.

"No," Bella disagreed. "She's staying near Billy. Leave her alone."

"Okay… I get that," Jake said. "I didn't feel Collin phase in," he added.

Seth came over to them and hugged Jake. "Heidi killed him. He didn't get time to phase and Charlie thinks Heidi glamored him."

"Shit!" Josh said. "I didn't think about that; he wasn't imprinted."

"He was away from the battle and it was a fluke that Heidi was the one sent to deal with him. You might know some stuff, but you can't know everything," Jake said. "It's not your fault."

Lucas and Brady carried Old Quil's body down and they gave both shaman sticks to Josh.

Jake found some clothes and went to offer some to Leah. Jake's face crumpled and he started to cry into Leah's hair. Bella couldn't see Leah's face but she guessed she was crying too from the way her shoulders shook.

"Come on, Dad," Sam said. "I'll carry Bella."

Sam swung her up in his arms, ignoring her protest. She stopped talking when the wave of dizziness hit her.

Leah and Jake were still standing there, embracing as the truck drove away.

It looked like a nightmare scene, fires burning and people crying among the pyres.

Then she corrected herself, it didn't just look like a nightmare, it _was_ a nightmare. The beginning of which she had seen for herself years ago; the image of cloaked and hooded dark figures gliding across a snowy field. She just hadn't known that it would end like this.

They were silent in the truck on the way home.

* * *

><p>"What hit me?" she asked Josh after it had been decided that she might have a mild concussion.<p>

"Didn't smell like a wolf and you have vampire venom in your hair, so I reckon it might have been a piece of vampire. If it was a whole vampire, they would have killed you."

A piece flung through the air with supernatural strength. It made sense. "That is the weirdest head injury ever. One for my medical record books." She tried to feel her head. "Ewww. I need to wash my hair."

"Tomorrow… maybe. Sleep first."

"Can we go home to sleep?" She wasn't sure when she had started calling their small cabin home. "I feel bad about taking up a bed in the medical center."

He tried to look at his back in the window reflection. The gashes had been glued together with wound adhesive; no stitches for fast healing shifters. "Why not? I'll sleep on my stomach."

"But I want to check on Embry, first."

They found him asleep in another room. Quil was with him. "They knocked him out." Quil made a face. "Nothing they can do about the foot."

"He's alive," Bella said.

Josh put his hand over Embry's forehead. He still looked exhausted. Bella remembered how he had healed Billy ages ago, but that wasn't possible now, Josh would kill himself to even try it.

"He'll wake up, Josh. Billy made sure of that."

"Billy did?" Quil asked.

"Yes, he attacked Felix and he dropped Embry. I saw it. I only realized it was Embry later." She waved at the missing foot.

"Wow."

"He was trying to bite him," she added.

"Maybe Billy knew what he was doing," Josh said.

They snuck out of the medical center and walked achingly slowly back to their cabin. The rez was busy; lights everywhere and people hurrying back and forth but the people that walked past them didn't stop to chat. They did nod respectfully at the two of them. There wasn't a lot of this night left and Bella was very glad about that.

"I feel a thousand years old," she said.

"Me, too."

They both stripped off and fell into bed, lying on their stomachs.

"Should you wake me every hour?" Bella asked.

"Izzy, I can hear if your heart rate changes in your sleep."

"So that's a no?"

"Rest is the best thing." He shifted over to put his head next to hers. "You stink."

"You too."

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

Silence for a minute.

"If I sleep for a day will tomorrow be over when I wake up?" In a smaller voice, she added, "I don't want to deal with it."

"I feel that way, too, but we need to find the good things."

"We're alive?"

"Yeah and we shouldn't feel guilty about that. The tribe needs to do a lot of healing."

After a minute or so, Bella said, "Sam called you Dad."

"He did, didn't he."

"That's a good thing."

"Yes. Sleep now."

She reached over and felt down his arm to clasp his hand. They lay facing each other until their eyes closed. For the first time in weeks, they had sleep free of dreams.

* * *

><p>He healed quickly but she didn't. Her headache woke her after a few hours of sleep. Josh's eyes opened within seconds. "What do you need?" he asked her. "Aspirin?"<p>

"Do you really need to ask?"

He smiled. "A bath."

She reached up to touch his hair. "Are you okay? You lost your brother?"

He nodded quickly. "Izzy, everyone has lost someone that meant a lot to them. _Everyone_."

She sighed.

"How's my back?" He turned to show her.

"Perfect. How's mine?"

"Bruised."

She shook her head. "I still can't get over how fast you guys heal."

"I'm not sure it is a good thing. We have nothing to show for it; you know?"

"It was yesterday."

"Exactly."

Josh went to run the bath and eat something. Healing took calories and even if you had no appetite, your body demanded sustenance.

When the bath was full, he carried her there. Made her drink some milk and then swallow some pain killers.

She started to complain when he lifted her into the bath. "I can do it— god, that is so good."

Lying back and soaking with her eyes closed, she heard crunching. Josh was standing in the doorway eating cereal.

"Is that a salad bowl?"

"Yep. I feel like a teenager again."

"Have you eaten _all_ the food?"

"Pretty much. We will have to go down to the hall later."

"Should we be there, now? I feel like we should be doing something."

"We are doing something. You are recovering." He munched some more. "I think we've done a lot so far."

"I suppose."

"If they wanted us, they'd be knocking at the door."

She remembered Thomas Uley knocking at their door when she was naked that time and felt like crying.

Silence for a few minutes. Bella soaped herself up. Josh drank the milk out of the bottom of the bowl.

"Here," Josh offered, "let me wash your hair."

He found a jug to pour water over her head. He climbed in behind her, washed himself quickly and then shampooed her hair. He tried to avoid pressing his fingers on the bruise.

Bella leaned against him. "I feel so weird. As if I am normal and then a wave of sadness hits me."

"Have you ever lost anyone before?"

"Not really. Not when I am old enough to remember it."

"That's kind of how it is. Everything feels normal; you can even laugh or joke and then it hits you that a person is gone." He rinsed her hair off. "Worse when there are more people gone. You laugh and then you feel guilty about it."

"Yeah." She blinked quickly as another wave of sadness hit her.

He scooped her out of the bath and into a towel.

"It keeps happening," he told her. "You will see an item or hear a song; that's the worst."

"Their favorite song?"

"Yeah. And suddenly… you're crying." He looked at her face. "And you are."

"It was Thomas… at the d-door."

His eyes softened. "I remember. We'd just met Edward."

"And then we came here and fucked."

"Yeah."

"Can we do that?"

"What about your head and your back?" he checked.

"Trust me; I need it."

He still looked worried, but he nodded.

He lay on his back under her, his face buried between her legs. She knelt above him, her arms out straight and her palms flat against the wall. She tried not to flex her back but as she got close to orgasm, the muscles clenched. He knew she was in pain and stopped. "Izzy?"

"Inside, Josh… I don't care, I just need you inside me."

He lifted her backwards down the bed and then he slid up until his back was against the headboard. She stuffed pillows behind him; still worried about his back.

She lowered herself carefully onto him. Her eyes closed and her lip held in her teeth. She could feel his hands on her hips, guiding her and holding her in place. Big hands. Warm. Alive. She shoved down and he sank inside her.

"Izzy?" he checked.

"I'm good," she said but her voice caught.

He wrapped her up in his arms, holding her firmly in place against him. They rocked slowly and gently on each other. By the time they finished, they were both crying.


	72. Chapter 72

**Chapter 72 - I'll be home for Christmas**

_Disclaimer: the characters and all recognisable situations belong to Stephenie Meyer - this is a work of fan fiction, except for the legends and histories of the Quileute that, of course, belong to them. I pay my respects to their gods._

_Thanks to BanSidhe [ruadh sidhe] and Feebes86 for betaing and pre-reading._

[AN: I can't find a lot of info about Quileute death rites. I have read a few things and as usual, cobbled together some stuff and made up the rest. Respectfully, I hope.]

* * *

><p>If Billy had died alone, as such a high status man, his body would have been dealt with differently, but the days were long gone when he would have been put in a canoe, and left in a tree on Akalat Island. Jake, as his son and the new chief, and Leah as his wife in all but name, decided that Billy would prefer to share his ceremony with the others who had fallen with him. They were all wolves or warriors who had died fighting vampires. They had all earned respect.<p>

The shaman's body was another issue. Historically people had been terrified of the power of a shaman; the body of one was hidden away, roughly mummified and left in a cave. Hidden, because a body part from a dead shaman could be used for powerful magic. Josh told them Old Quil's body would be protected and everyone believed that.

The least injured wolves carved rough canoe shapes from a cedar tree. A cedar was a significant tree for the tribe. One large tree split into quarters made four rough wedges. Each wedge was cut into two pieces making eight of the canoe shapes. They worked quickly with their great strength and they all needed a physical outlet. Sam made Y-shaped racks to hold them and they embedded them in the ground on the beach. The canoes would sit above them. The scraps and bark were piled into pyres underneath. Brady and Jared took care to stack the wood so that it would light and burn without being smothered.

The families prepared the bodies. The Blacks took care of Billy and Saathi. The Uleys looked after Thomas, and the Atearas prepared Michael Clearwater and Old Quil. Tragically the pack had to find as many pieces of Collin's body as they could. The remains were wrapped in a tribal blanket.

Most of the tribe met in the makeshift canteen late afternoon of the next day. A day of healing had erased almost all of the wolves's injuries, except for the more severe ones. Broken bones took two or three days to heal. Catering wasn't a problem; as often happened when people don't know what to say they said it with food. The tribe also had a tradition of potlatch and communal feasting. Oddly, the way they had all been eating as a community was another throw back to the old ways.

The Cullens remained in La Push. Perhaps the house that Esme had decorated and that was still full of Edward's things, was too much for them but no one in the tribe would ask them to leave now.

* * *

><p>Candie was standing in the middle of the room, looking confused.<p>

Quil looked concerned. "Candie?" he asked carefully.

She lost it. Tears streamed down her face. "She's not here… to cook… she's not _here_."

"Esme?" he checked.

She nodded.

"Oh, baby." Quil hugged her.

"She was always here," she wailed. "If this baby is a girl, can I call her Esme?"

Rose made a small noise when she heard that. Quil looked up at her and held his arm out to her. She rocketed across to them and they all hugged.

Seth came in the door, looking for Jake. "Canoes are done," Seth told Jake.

"Why did you make eight?" someone asked.

Seth looked blank. "For Esme and Edward."

Carlisle looked up, the shadows under his eyes dark. "How do you mean?"

"We would be honored if the bodies of your fallen were to burn with ours," Jake said.

"Thank you, Jacob." Carlisle looked as if he didn't know what to say. "I did not know what else to do with them."

"They'd like that," Alice said.

"It is an honor," Emmett said. "We've been allowed inside the treaty line, made part of your families and fought alongside you. We are already proud."

Everyone looked at him. It was unexpectedly deep.

The Cullens readied their dead for the ceremony.

Charlie arrived later with Deputy Steve and Mark.

Bella found Alice sitting with Carlisle. "Alice? Did you know Edward was going to die?"

"I couldn't see the details but I knew he had no future."

Bella hugged her. "I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault and he knew… I never could keep secrets from him. This was his choice to be here and to fight with all of us. He also blamed himself."

"For going to Italy." She was silent for a minute. "I think Josh knew, too."

"And Edward would have been able to read his mind. This was what he wanted. Redemption."

"He was always concerned about his soul," Carlisle said. "Maybe it is clean, now."

"If only such acts of redemption wiped it away," Bella said. "Like the scars healing on the wolves."

Carlisle gave her an odd look. "What do you mean?"

"Josh's back. It's already healed."

"Healing. Now, that is a thought."

But before Carlisle could explain what he meant, Jake stood and everyone fell silent. Angela held his hand. "Thank you all for your hard work. Every act, no matter how small was appreciated." He cleared his throat. "We also need to thank the ones who stood with us, who had no supernatural skills at all but who helped us immeasurably. To those men I say you will always be friends of the tribe. Thank you Charlie, Steve and Mark. Please stay with us and be part of the healing."

They nodded, still looking shell shocked.

"We have some new tales to tell," Jake continued. "Later we can write them in more poetic words, but now we all need to talk about what happened. We can talk and you can ask questions if you wish. I know how hard it was for people to wait back here for news." He waited for a beat. "And then we can pay our respects to our dead."

He started to tell the story, how the dark cloaks had emerged from the forest. Jasper pulled out the white-board of the map so that people could see where others were. The charts were all still up of the Volturi and their skills, so they used them as well.

Charlie, when asked, explained that their first rounds were hydra-shoks; bullets designed to shatter their target on impact.

Bella felt as if she was watching it all from outside. She watched Josh explain that he and Old Quil had called up the spirits of their ancestors. How Bella had kept the shield up, how the Cullens had protected her and Seth. She thought it was a good thing that the tribe knew what the packs faced. Again, no more secrets.

"There is one more thing," Josh said when the whole tale had been told. "As you may know, the wolves share a mind. We were in people's heads when they died. I think we all need to talk about that. If we can, we can tell their loved ones what they were thinking. Saathi was the only one who got time to say it and none of us would have wished that extra time on her; it was painful to hear, I can't imagine what watching it was like." He put his hand up to his mouth, but then continued, "So if anyone has any messages, we can say them now, for our pack members who can no longer speak."

"I'll start," said Ellen. "Thomas was really proud of you, Josh. He was so glad to see that you had your shit together and he was hopeful for your future with Bella."

Sue went next. "Michael was thrilled to phase, just thrilled. He saw it as a rebirth. He had no regrets at being on that battlefield."

Jasper spoke, "The one emotion I did not feel from _any_ of the pack was regret. Everyone was content with their decision to be there, or proud."

"Collin had the best time in the last few weeks," Brady said. "Actually being allowed to blow shit up."

That made Charlie smile.

"Old Quil was the same," Joy said. "He was more alive than I have seen him in years; his skills were valuable and respected."

"And way cool," said Quil. "Old dude rocked."

"Did you see his spirit in among the others?" Jane Wilde asked.

"I _thought_ it was him," Adam Fuller said.

"Dad had a rebirth, too," Jake said. "He was dying. We were all prepared to see him off back at Christmas. Until Bella and Josh stepped back onto tribal land. You two, together have accomplished more than I would have thought possible." He gave Bella a look. "I told you, you were valuable to the tribe."

She couldn't speak for crying. She mouthed a thank you at him.

Jake managed a small smile. "Now, are we ready?" he asked.

* * *

><p>Two wolves carried a canoe to each home to collect the body. More people helped carry them back to pick ups to transport them down to Second Beach. The Cullens carried their own. Alice led them there.<p>

They lifted them up into the racks and stood behind them huddled into their family groups. The whole tribe was on the beach. Everyone wanted to be involved, to pay their respects. The Cullens stood out because they were still wearing the white outfits from the battle, humans were bundled up against the cold and the wolves, as always, didn't feel it.

Sam brought Embry down from the medical center. He sat in one of Billy's old wheelchairs. He looked pale and weak but determined to be there. Bella held his hand. The last time Bella had been to Second beach was when Josh had brought her here to watch the sunrise.

They sang, they said their farewells, they gave them gifts of food and valued articles to help them in the afterlife. Their souls would be reborn and any baby that carried their name would call to their soul and give it a place to go. They were warriors; they would help the tribe again.

The pyres were lit and the tribe sang them into the afterlife.

Many tears were shed, many hugs exchanged, many prayers said in whatever form they took. The babies and kids played in the sand. Nobody left until the pyres were ash. The ashes were swept towards the waves. The incoming tide would spread them far along their lands.

It was a good send off.

And for the first time, in among the ash of the tribe were the ashes of vampires. Not the cold ones of legend, but their friends and their allies.

* * *

><p>They all went back to the hall for a wake. People told more stories, drank if it helped and ate some of the food. They grieved together.<p>

Jasper and Josh unpacked and cleaned off the whiteboards, putting it all away in file boxes. Josh said it was history and should be kept.

"We need to leave," Jasper said to Josh. "Before news of what happened reaches the wider vampire world. The human staff left behind will be trying to contact their leaders."

"We have left a power vacuum at the head of vampire society," Carlisle said. "I would rather it not be filled by the Romanians."

"The Cullens should fill it," Josh said.

"We would need help."

Josh shrugged. "You have others who follow your diet."

"The Denali clan… yes. And Eleazar's skills would be most useful."

"He was part of the Volturi, right?"

"Yes."

Bella spoke, "You could bring your philosophy to the wider world of vampires."

"They did not appreciate it before," Carlisle said.

"That was when the trio were the council. They may appreciate it now," Josh said. "When they see what it can do. Families and love to bind them, not forced bonds of compulsion."

"Corin's gift was so unnatural, that people felt ill when they were away from her for too long."

"It was wrong," said Josh. "The Volturi may have started off with some sensible rules, but Aro perverted it; twisted it to his own ends."

Carlisle studied him. "Is that what you saw?"

"Yes. Peace. A thousand years of it."

"That I _would_ like to see," said Jasper. "Think about it Carlisle, they already have staff in place."

"And money," said Emmett.

"There, Alice's visions will return and she can tell which of them may betray you," Josh pointed out.

"They can decide to stay or not. I will not force anyone." Carlisle turned to look at his family.

"It is what Esme and Edward would have wanted," Rose said.

"I agree. Lately Edward expressed some concern over the pointlessness of our lives. Endless attendance at high school."

"So we all agree?" Emmett checked.

They all nodded.

"We will need some things from the house. Passports and so on," Jasper said.

Carlisle turned to Jake. "I will be back," he promised. "I have some ideas; things I want to try."

"You are welcome any time."

"Can any of you fly a jet?" Charlie interrupted. "It's still sitting at Seiku."

"Rose can," Emmett said.

She nodded. "It should be taken back to Italy, right?"

"Right."

"Ooh… Italy," Alice breathed. "Rome, Florence, Milan…"

Jasper rolled his eyes.

"When did you learn to fly a jet?" Carlisle asked Rose.

"You spend too much time with your patients," she pointed out.

They shook hands with everyone before they left. They all hugged Bella. She promised to stay in touch.

Jake watched them leave. "I never thought I would say this, but I am going to miss them."

Josh had his arm over Bella's shoulder. He kissed her hair.

"Josh?"

"Hmmm?"

"I tried to send you a thought at the beach."

"You did?"

"I didn't think you heard it."

"What was it?"

"That we were back at Second Beach."

"Oh, yeah." He snorted. "Circles." He turned and looked down at her. "Try it again. I will shut my eyes and try to listen."

_Wolves are weird,_ she thought at him. She couldn't think what else to say.

He opened his eyes to see her peering at him intently. He shook his head. "Nothing."

"Maybe I lost it when I banged my head?'

"Maybe you weren't meant to have it forever?"

"Maybe."

"What was the message?"

"Wolves are weird."

He smiled. "God, I love you, Izzy."


	73. Chapter 73

**Chapter 73 - I'll be home for Christmas**

_Disclaimer: the characters and all recognisable situations belong to Stephenie Meyer - this is a work of fan fiction, except for the legends and histories of the Quileute that, of course, belong to them. I pay my respects to their gods._

_Thanks to BanSidhe [ruadh sidhe] and Feebes86 for betaing and pre-reading._

* * *

><p>"What are you doing?" Embry asked Leah. He had rolled out the back door of the hall. There were ramps in place for Billy.<p>

She was sitting on the ground. "Nothing," Leah grunted at him.

"Neat. I'm not doing anything, either." He levered himself out of the chair and sat down next to her on the step. It was hard for him with his missing foot but he managed it by supporting his weight on one arm and holding onto the pillar with the other as he lowered his body down. "I might do nothing with you."

"Suit yourself," she mumbled. She didn't know how to offer to help him or whether she even should or what would happen if she touched him.

Silence.

Leah was pulling at blades of grass and weeds from around the steps of the porch. Angrily pulling them up, tearing them into small pieces and throwing them away.

Embry watched her.

She wouldn't look at him.

"Did you want to talk?" Embry asked.

"No."

"Did you want to hug?"

"No."

"Did you want to fuck?"

"No!" She smacked her hands onto her thighs. "Honestly, Embry. Fuck off and leave me alone."

"No," he said quietly.

Leah stopped. She looked at him now. "You have never said 'no' to me."

"Well, I am now."

"Why?"

"Leah, I get how angry you are. I do. But you cannot let this get to you this badly."

She snorted. "Right. I imprint and he _dies_." She tore up another piece of leaf. "I'm like some freaking black wolf widow or something."

"He was your imprint, but we all lost Billy," Embry pointed out, "Not just you. The tribe lost its chief and Jake lost his father."

She didn't respond.

"Leah… Billy saved me. Why did he do that?"

"I don't know."

"I think I do."

Quickly glancing at his face, Leah looked as if she did and didn't want to know. Warring with herself, she finally asked, "Why?"

"He saved me for you."

Silence.

"He knew how I felt about you. Didn't he?"

Her voice was tiny. "Yes. He knew where I'd been when I snuck out to talk to you. I didn't even need to tell him."

"He wasn't a fool. If he saved me, he had his reasons."

"Jake said that he got a rebirth. That is how he thought of it. Billy and I had a big talk about all of this before the battle. The possibility that one or both of us might not come home. Might not walk away from it. We knew it."

She kept talking, as if speaking of her imprint was helping. "The way he saw it, he was dying when Bella and Josh showed up on the rez. And days after they arrived, he was awake, and he was walking when he hadn't done that for years. He phased and became a wolf, which he had secretly wanted to do from the time when he was a little boy and saw the last pack. Also something he thought he would never get to do. He had sex." She made a vague hand gesture at herself. "Also something he hadn't done for years."

"And you did that for him. And you _loved_ him, Leah."

"I did… I really did. I never thought I could. I will miss him so much." She gave a small sob, before her back straightened and she wiped angrily at her tears. "And then he died saving you for me. For _me_. Pretty fucking heroic."

"I agree; he was awe inspiring."

She kept wiping at her face.

"You need to cry," Embry suggested.

"No. I do not."

Silence for a minute or so.

Leah still sat there; she hadn't left or stormed off and Embry took that as a good sign. "Are you okay?" he asked her.

"I can't do it any more," she whispered. "I'm so tired."

"I know," he crooned at her. He moved a tiny bit closer to her.

She didn't move away.

"But you are so very strong. Look at everything you have handled before now." He slid one arm around her waist, but didn't try to hug her. "Hmmm? Are you seriously telling me that winning the biggest battle of our lives is the thing that you can't handle?"

"The cost was so high."

They were both silent as they thought about the people the tribe had lost.

He hugged her carefully. "You don't have to do it alone. We are still here. You and me. You told me I was good for you, Leah." A pause while he listened to her reactions. "And we could be together if you wanted."

"If I wanted? What about what you want, Embry?"

"That's easy; I always want you. Just you."

She sniffed. "Why do you still want me?"

"I love you."

"I'm a mess. I'm broken inside - my heart is so mangled I'm surprised it still works."

"I don't care." He lifted his leg. "Look at me! I'm not exactly the full man any more either."

"What if we imprint on someone else? I don't think I can do it again, Em."

"This is the way I see it: you have already had your imprint and in all the madness of wolves popping up everywhere and everyone imprinting crazily on everyone else, what did I do?"

She frowned as if she was trying to get his meaning.

"Did I imprint on anyone?" he asked.

"No."

"I don't think I missed out because I am a lesser wolf or anything like that. Heck, Josh Uley is my father. You don't get much better than that. I think I didn't imprint because I am already taken."

Leah looked at him, but she was terrified to speak.

"Taken by the only person I ever want to be with. You, Leah. I belong to you."

A tear ran down her cheek.

Embry wiped it away.

"Do you want to hug, now?" he asked her.

She nodded quickly.

He scooped her up and hauled her onto his lap. He lost his balance a little, but righted himself. He shifted sideways so that his back rested against the post and gave him extra support.

She cried quietly for a little while. Embry held her carefully and rested his cheek on the top of her head.

"Is this too soon, Embry?"

"Nobody cares. No one will criticize you for living. Especially not Jake or Rachel. But we can take it as slow as you want." He gave a wry chuckle. "Not that I move that fast any more, so slow is good."

She patted his arm and thought about his offer for a minute or so.

"There's something I haven't told anyone," she said in a voice so tiny he needed wolf hearing to hear it.

"You can tell me."

She took a couple of quiet breaths before she worked up the courage to tell him. "I think I might be pregnant."

Embry blinked. "Okay," he said. "With Billy's child?"

She nodded against his chest.

"Neat!"

"Neat?" she repeated.

"Yeah. That's great news. Why aren't you happy?"

She was speechless.

"You hadn't thought of it like that, had you?" Embry asked. "See! That's why you need me. You only ever get caught up in the negatives. You need me to show you the shiny side."

"I need you to help me raise this kid."

"I will not leave you with a fatherless child. Me of all people. I never pushed you before, but I'll do it now. I may not be your wartime wolf but I'm your best bet in peace. I'm solid, Leah. If I am missing a bit. And I've been waiting for you."

"I don't deserve you, Embry."

"You do and we will both tell this little guy how awesome his dad was. We won't keep any secrets from him."

"Him?"

"Has to be."

She was silent.

"Well, that's settled then. Can we call him William?"

"What if it's a girl?"

"I don't think it will be a girl," said Embry.

"I never thought I could have a kid." She sounded as if she still didn't believe it.

"Billy fitted or I dunno … unlocked something, or you just stopped stressing about it. Didn't think it would happen. We'll have a dozen more if you want."

She snorted.

"Fine, a half dozen then."

"Bella will freak. More grandkids."

"I don't think she will. She's got very huggy lately. Especially with the kids."

She leaned into him. "A boy, huh?"

"I just have a feeling. And anyway, we can ask Josh. He might already know."

"Why would he know?"

"Because you're carrying the descendant of Ephraim Black. That is a big thing. Did you tell Billy? You know, before he went?"

"Yes, I did. He was just blown away. So excited."

"Another chance."

"Something else he could get to do, but then he won't see him and that breaks my heart."

Embry held her closer.

"Should we tell everyone now?" she asked.

"Can we keep it a secret for a little while?"

"Why?"

"There are going to be a lot of babies on the rez in the next year or so, and I want it to be our secret for a short time. Just ours."

"Okay."

They sat there in silence.

"Tell me again, Embry."

He knew exactly what she meant. "I love you."

"Huh."

Seth found them together about half an hour later, still sitting together. He backtracked and went to tell Sue that Leah was okay.

* * *

><p>"She's with Embry?" Sue checked.<p>

"Yeah," Seth said. He was looking around and relaxed when he saw Alex in a chair with Kaylee asleep in her lap.

"That's good, I think." Sue looked as if she wasn't sure. She burped loudly and put her hand over her mouth. "Sorry."

"He'll look after her; he always has," said Charlie. He frowned at Sue. "You okay?"

"I'm not sure." She looked into the cup she was holding. "I feel weird."

"Weird?" Seth checked. He leaned over and sniffed at her.

"Dr Cullen has already left. Was it something you ate?" Charlie asked.

"Don't be ridiculous, I'm a wolf and they don't get s— oh, my god, I am going to be sick." She dashed outside and threw up.

Charlie went to follow her, but Seth grabbed his arm.

"Ah… Charlie?" Seth ventured.

"Now, Seth? Your mother's sick."

"No, she's not."

"What? She's throwing up." He stopped suddenly and glared at Seth. "What?"

"She's not ill. I think she might… I dunno… but she smells… different."

Charlie stood there with a dumb look on his face. "Holy crap! She's pregnant."

"Ha!" said Bella, who had approached when she saw Sue run out. "I told you to be careful."

"Jeez, Bells. I don't need my daughter to give me lectures about safe sex."

"Well, clearly you do." She pointed out the door at the vomiting Sue.

Charlie just um'ed and ah'ed and finally handed his cup to Josh. "Get me another drink, would you, Josh. I think I am going to need it."

"Sure, Charlie. Remember to hold her hair out of the way."

Seth and Bella waited together. Bella wanted to bounce excitedly but didn't.

Seth seemed to get it. "This is cool." He turned to her. "Hey, you're an only kid."

"No way. I've got you and Leah as half siblings already. This one is an extra."

She watched Josh take Charlie's drink out to him.

"I love that ass," she said.

Seth leaned sideways as Josh started to walk back.

"You sniff me, Seth and I will punch you."

"You'll break your hand."

"I'll risk it."

"Is that Mom?" Leah interrupted.

"Yep," said Seth. "We think she's pregnant."

"Oh, really?" said Embry with a glint in his eye. He had followed her in the wheelchair.

"Bet they call him Michael," said Seth.

Leah nodded. "Yeah… that'd be good."

"Embry," Josh leaned down and hugged him. "How are you coping?" He crouched down to talk to him at his level.

"Dr Cullen took time to talk to me before he left. He's got some ideas about prosthetics. They will have to be hard core to keep up with me."

"Excellent. He's been brilliant."

"Yeah. I'm alive because of his battlefield medicine and how fast Quil can run. I can't complain."

"They all saved you. You're a package effort, now. When do you want to try phasing?"

"You reckon I could?"

Josh shrugged. "Dogs run on three legs."

"I-I hadn't actually thought about that."

"When you're ready, let me know." He glanced at Leah. "Leah will go with you."

Seth was sniffing at her.

She grabbed him by the throat, too fast for Bella to see it.

"Uncle," Seth croaked, making a timeout gesture with his hands as extra insurance.

"See, Seth," Bella argued. "It's dangerous to sniff at females."

"Okay, okay," he grizzled. "I'll give it up."

"Go sniff your own female," Leah told him.

Charlie came back inside. "Good god," he said. "You can tell how much she eats when you see it-" He stopped when he realized everyone was looking at him weirdly.

"What are we going to tell the police about the deaths?" Josh asked him, to change the subject.

"Jake and I talked it over and we decided to go for house fire. No one would believe a boat accident if we don't have drowned bodies. It was done and the bodies were ash before anyone could do an investigation."

"Will they believe that?"

"They might have to. If I lie and maybe the deputies sign something."

"It could explain some of their obvious trauma," Josh added. "If they say they witnessed it."

"Yeah. If the families aren't complaining, I hope we can keep it regional."

"Cool. So whose house do we burn down?" Seth asked.


	74. Chapter 74

**Chapter 74 - I'll be home for Christmas**

_Disclaimer: the characters and all recognisable situations belong to Stephenie Meyer - this is a work of fan fiction, except for the legends and histories of the Quileute that, of course, belong to them. I pay my respects to their gods._

_Thanks to BanSidhe [ruadh sidhe] and Feebes86 for betaing and pre-reading._

* * *

><p>La Push pulled together as a community led by its new and energetic leader, Jake. They had won the battle but they couldn't tell anyone about it. They couldn't celebrate their heroes and pay the respect to their lost that they deserved. They wanted to tell the world what they did, so instead, they made up more songs and stories.<p>

The tribal legends had new stories of sacrifice to add to the legend of the third wife - even a story about the cold one who loved a human girl of the tribe. And the tale of the new, old pack and the added story of how women fought by the side of the men to save the tribe. And how they had help from their friends, human and vampire.

What the tribe really appreciated now was the luxury of time. Time to spend with loved ones and family.

By the time of the first battle anniversary, La Push had a baby boom. The tribe was rejuvenated; its numbers swelled. And with the hard won peace came an intent to improve the rez; to make it the best place for those children to grow up in and a people determined to _be_ the best for that next generation.

So by the next Christmas, most of the babies had made an appearance. Bella was due any day.

Joy had twins. Niki laughed that at least they didn't have to call one of them Quil. That honor went to Ellen Uley. Candie had a girl and they called her Esme.

Angela was huge with twins as well. She had joked that with twins in both families, she was doomed.

The new families all needed new, bigger houses and some of the empty ones were renovated and new places were built. The tribe economy improved as people had things to do.

Angela had redesigned the tourist website. She sued people who had stolen their designs and traditional tribal artwork, with the help of the Cullens' legal contact Mr J. Jenks, and she had reclaimed the rights to use them from others who had never paid their proper value initially. Handmade things were popular and the Quileute made sure the items they made were good quality and not mass produced.

They became collector's items. Paintings and carvings sold in art galleries in Seattle through friends of Josh's. Smaller items were sold on Etsy where the tribe could control the market and Angela could run the website.

Increased tourism meant more work for everyone; bed and breakfasts, and cabin rentals increased, people ate at cafes and restaurants and hired boats for fishing trips or whale watching and hired other guides to walk them through the forest. They bought fuel at Jake's garage.

Embry and Quil ran a whale watching boat. He had a prosthetic foot made and walked with an odd gait on land, but he swam like a seal in the water. Most people assumed he had lost the foot in a diving accident. Little William had his father's beaked nose and Embry was the perfect step-father having been a fatherless child himself.

Leah allowed herself to be happy. After the birth of William, it was as if her body decided it knew what to do and she had trouble free pregnancies after that. The boy who had never had a family, made his own. Josh was ecstatic to be grandpa for them all. And Charlie adored them, too and took them fishing when they were old enough. He and Sue had their own babies. Sue said she could never have done it except for the fact that she was a werewolf and could live on less sleep.

The La Push family trees got very confused with some uncles being younger than their nephews and grandchildren and so on.

Bella never quite got over the weirdness of being Embry and Sam's stepmother and they reminded her of it whenever they wanted to tease.

She looked at the three men sometimes and wondered why no one had ever guessed Josh was Embry's father. They had assumed so, but it looked so obvious to her now. With Josh's decreased aging, the three looked more like brothers.

Leah did a college degree in her spare time.

Josh still did some modeling. He told them he had gone away to put some weight on. They believed him. He got jobs in the industry for some of the others, too. On the rez, he used his shaman powers to run spiritual retreats; healing clinics for mind and body. People were so over stimulated and stressed in the modern world that they had to be taught how to relax and switch off.

* * *

><p>"Why can't we tell everyone the stories?" Angela asked Bella one night.<p>

"How do you mean?"

"Stories." Angela looked so animated. "We _have_ to tell the story."

"How are we going to do that?"

Bella and Angela wrote a book about a high school girl who fell in love with a vampire. They got rejected by a dozen publishers before a younger woman at an agency fell in love with it. She argued with her boss for the right to publish it.

They called it 'Dusk' after the color of Jake's skin and the time that they all lined up for the battle.

Rose cried when she read it, for in the book they gave Edward the happy ending he wanted so desperately in real life. "You really made him immortal," Rose told them with tears of venom on her face.

At the bookstore in Port Angeles, they stood, holding hands and staring at the cover. Seeing the real physical books on the shelf was a dream realized.

They squeed and bounced in place.

"The cover is so different," Angela said.

"Simple and strikingly beautiful," Bella agreed.

It started to sell. It went from a few sales to hitting the tops of the charts. It then went on to be incredibly popular.

"Edward would be mortified by all this attention," Angela laughed.

Josh just laughed at Bella when she asked him if she could write him into it, too. "I'm too old to be a romantic hero," he told her.

"You're _my_ romantic hero," she assured him. "Even if it isn't you in the book."

Everyone loved the virgin vampire heartthrob. Except for a die hard minority who wanted the love-struck girl to choose the hunky wolf boy. Websites were set up for each faction. People declared that they were team wolf, or team vampire. A few wanted the girl to choose herself and they declared that they were team Switzerland after a line in the book. There were endless debates on tumblr, twitter and websites about who was the better choice for her.

They wrote a sequel and then another. They sold in their millions. They gave all the money to the tribe.

The books generated the perfect cover for La Push and the tribe. People asked about the Quileute tribe and the wolf shape-shifters and they were laughed at and told that it was just a story from a book. Tourism soared. The tribe was put on the map.

They used their new fanbase to push to get the law changed. The fans of the book series helped to bring their request to the attention of the highest levels of government. The Bill was passed granting them more land because of the increased population and the cloud of publicity. Some of the new land was at a higher elevation and the tribe started to spend some of their hoarded money on moving all their major art works, and the tribal and medical centers to higher ground.

They told people, when they asked why they were spending money on this, that their tribe has been on this land for thousands of years, maybe nine thousand years and that one of their origin stories is about a great flood. They survived it back then by taking to their canoes and they believed another may come again. They told as many people as will listen that a great wave may happen again.

When the tsunami came, their shaman knew exactly when it will strike and no one was lost. There was some property damage, but by a 'lucky' coincidence every tribal member was on a boat and out at sea when the wave went past.

Bella thought it was the most terrifying thing she has ever seen. The wave that had lifted the boats so gently, almost crashed into the mountain tops when it hit the shore. As the wave formed, the water had been sucked out to sea for miles a good twenty minutes before the wave hit the land. If they were not already out to sea, they would never have been able to get to their boats.

The tribe was eerily quiet. It was one thing to place belief in a shaman once and he proved that he was right, but twice and he became something else entirely. He became a prophet.

* * *

><p>The Cullens arrived in Volterra to a universal reaction of disbelief. There were a few vampires left who were not part of the guard and the human staff. It was a bloodless takeover, nobody was brave enough to fight them, not when the bite marks on Jasper's skin were terrifying enough, Alice knew what they would do and Jasper knew what they felt and Emmett just looked as if he wanted to kill something.<p>

Then Emmett sealed the deal by holding up all the necklaces of the Volturi guard as proof. He'd bought them from Leah.

They explained the vegetarian diet to the staff who had been waiting, eager to be turned. Most of them confessed that actually murdering people was an issue for them.

Carlisle was endlessly patient and told vampires that the same rules that the Volturi had insisted on would still apply. Secrecy of the existence of vampires. Hunts must be inconspicuous, with victims unlikely to be missed; their remains must be disposed of and territory must be changed often. Immortal children are not to be created. Hunting was forbidden in Volterra, Newborn vampires must be trained before they can be released on their own. By letting a newborn hunt wildly, the penalty would be death, both to the newborn and its creator.

They invited the Denali clan to join them, and they accepted eagerly. They had been in one location for too long, themselves.

With Edward gone, they needed a mind reader, but Eleazar felt sure one would show up somewhere and they could offer to protect and train them.

Carlisle took the hoarded bank accounts of the Volturi to spend on medical research. With his new laboratory, and his work with the blood of the Quileute, he invented a synthetic blood that would sustain vampires so that they would no longer need to feed on people.

Now, with no need to feed from humans, they talked about coming out, as it were.

The Cullens ushered in a new era for vampires.

They still celebrated St. Marcus' day for without his intervention at the battle, Aro might have prevailed.

* * *

><p>Carlisle went back to Washington after about six months. He suggested that they do a skin graft for Emily's face. He had noticed when Niki was healing the gash on his body that cutting away the damaged skin allowed new skin to grow back. He argued that if the tribe had had access to a better plastic surgeon back when the accident happened, that Emily's face would not have been so badly scarred.<p>

Emily said it didn't matter to her, but both Leah and Sam knew that it really did.

Leah, being Emily's second cousin was an almost perfect blood match.

"You know who to come to for a kidney," Leah quipped.

"You can't grow those back," Emily said, "And if this works, I will owe you for the rest of my life."

"No, Emily, I _owe_ you a new face."

"You really don't… aren't we over this now?"

"Okay - that is enough of that," Carlisle chided before he put them both under sedation. He cut a piece of skin from under Leah's arm; on the inside where the sun exposure was less obvious and it felt as soft as Emily's cheek. With his vampire eyesight and his incrediblly fine motor control, he didn't need the microsurgery lens. The tools, yes; they needed to be microthin.

The surgery went well. Leah woke first and Embry was there when she opened her eyes.

"Water," she croaked.

"You are an amazing person," he told her.

"You hear that, Will?" she asked the bump.

"He already knows."

"Thanks, Em."

They watched her arm heal itself. No coverings in case they got caught up in the process. Just wound spray. She drank more water. "Lucky Dr Fang didn't take it from my butt cheek."

Embry smiled. "Sam would be kissing your ass for the rest of his life."

"He should, anyway."

"How is Will?"

"Busy today." She placed Embry's hand on her stomach to feel. "You reckon he'll talk much?"

"Jake never shut up as a kid."

"Shit! I'd forgotten that."

"But he's more serious now."

"Yeah - he looks more like Billy every day."

* * *

><p>"I know about girls," Paul argued.<p>

"Yeah? Well I know about _baby_ girls," Quil replied. "I was imprinted on one for years."

The baby girl in question lay on her back chewing her hand and studying them both with her large dark eyes. She pulled her fist out to beam a broad smile past their shoulders.

Niki reached between Quil and Paul and picked her up. The smile was for him. He shouldered the men out of the way. "Hello, my baby girl," he crooned to her.

She burbled happily at him.

"Fuck off, you two. Go home and play with your own babies."

"Ellen's got them," said Quil.

Niki glanced at Paul.

"Rachel went to some baby shower thing with an old uni friend."

"Where's your sister?" he asked the baby.

"Mom fell asleep feeding her," Quil said.

"Twins are hard work," Paul commented.

"Funny, a lot of the Forties had twins," Quil said.

"It's an age thing," Niki said. "Plus there are twins all through some of the family trees. Especially the Blacks." He nodded at Paul. "Your next one will probably be two. Rachel's a twin."

"Shit. I had better go home and sleep now. Save it up for later."

* * *

><p>"Mommy! Look at ME!"<p>

"Wow, honey. That's great. You are so clever."

The small child walked along the top of the fallen cedar tree like it was a balance beam. She made it look easy. The tree had been floating in the sea and then had been deposited onto the gravel beach of La Push. It was slippery, wet and moss-covered.

"Come down, now, honey."

"Okay." But she slipped. She windmilled her arms for a second with a look of panic on her face and then fell backwards away from her mother.

Her mother shouted her name, but could do nothing.

The man was suddenly there - dashing in with supernatural speed to catch the child before she hit the ground.

"Daddy!" she cried.

"Josh?" Bella called over the tree. "I can't see through the damn tree!"

"I've got her." He leapt up onto the trunk and down again to land next to her mother. The child squealed in delight.

He kissed her mother first.

"Our hero," she told him.

Then he chucked the baby that she carried on her hip under the chin and patted her rounded stomach.

"Do you think this one will be a boy?" he asked.

"I don't know… maybe. The odds are not in our favor with two girls already. You don't care, do you?"

"No. I love my girls." He kissed her. _"All_ my girls."

She looked oddly serious. "Do you remember the dream I had when we first met?"

"Bits. You were standing on a beach." He took the baby from her.

"I was standing on this beach. You told me that things would change; that I was standing on a border between things and that I was searching for myself."

"You remember all that?"

"Meeting you was a high point of my life, of course I remember."

He grinned at her.

"You said I was lost and that I missed family," she added. "And I dreamed of wolves."

"Was any of that wrong?"

She looked at him very seriously. "No. Not a single thing."

* * *

><p>Alice and Jasper came for holidays when Alice wanted a break from her visions. She had decided it wasn't so bad to be blacked out occasionally.<p>

Carlisle often requested samples for his study of the genes and biology of supernaturals.

Blood… it all came down to blood.

Josh knew the cost had been high, but for a thousand years of peace? It was worth it. With the new stories and the books, the Quileute would be ready the next time their gods called upon them to fight the cold ones.

**The end.**

**Author's note:**

A long time ago I wrote a one shot. Christmas 2011. It got disqualified from the competition I wrote it for because it didn't have a member of the wolf pack in it. But, like a lot of my one shots, it itched at me to extend it. I started thinking about Stephenie Meyer's obsession with youth. I wondered why the wolves needed to be so young when Sam was nineteen and not in puberty when he changed.

I asked each reviewer some questions and a few of them answered me in great detail. If I have forgotten anyone, I apologize. Slcottin, Moondancer 1179, Kkcnelson2002, BJArthur, and Taoistelf all contributed ideas and discussion points. Plus my betas, ban sidhe [ruadh sidhe] and Feebes86. We brainstormed for hours. I thought it would be a funny crack-fic with an older pack running around, all rejuvenated and rascally. I am not sure when it got as serious as it did. There had to be an enemy for them to have so many wolves and the Volturi made the most sense. Bella had broken her promise to be a vampire. In BD they came to punish; they'd do it here.

I have madly tried to fix _**everything **_and probably messed it all up. I have never even _read_ a Volturi story, but my basically, original character has been well liked… I think we are all a little in love with Josh and I really like an older, wiser Bella.

It seems appropriate that it be finished at Christmas, too. I know what Josh would say – circles.

Thanks for reading and reviewing to those who bothered to do so. Reviews are the only thanks us poor writers get, you know. Even if it is just a smiley face, I'm happy to get it. Fanfic, rightly or wrongly, is judged by the number of reviews a story has. And I do love reading your comments and replying.

Please remember to vote in the fandom choice awards before the 3rd January. This story has been nominated twice.

thefandomchoiceawards. blogspot. com. au/

It is also in the fanfic-n-tastic awards under best wolf story. Thank to whomever nominated it. Vote before December 31st.

fanfic-n-tasticawards. blogspot. com.

I am so proud that this story has more than 3k reviews for such an unusual pairing.

That's down to you guys, so thank you all.

Keep reading, and I'll keep writing.

MTR


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